Publications and Media Books

This book had me searching my soul. I almost cried after reading the "Dear John" chapter, as it was very relevant to my current situation. I highly recommend it as it is transparent and was birthed from Linda's life experiences.

If you want to learn how to love well in a marital relationship from God's perspective (no matter what your past may be), this is DEFINITELY the book for you.

Share it with your partners and friends!

The Plural Thing: Spiritually Preparing For Your Soul Mate is a must read for 2008.Why? Because you, you and you...deserve the very best life has in store for you. That includes having the right mate to compliment you. What The Plural Thing...does is provide you with a road map equipped with a GPS (God Planned Source) of direction in finding the appropriate mate. Linda Dominique Grosvenor penned a great shelf-help book that focus on the positive rather than the negative. Furthermore, it's Grosvenor, open and honest revelations about her own relationships that breath life into The Plural Thing and make it a must read for the seeking single to the much married couple that strive to make their relationship better.

The Plural Thing is a quick, practical read that will have the reader thinking from the first page to the very end. Although I could relate to the entire book, I especially enjoyed The EX Factor chapter. I was reading The Plural Thing..., just as I was doing my own soul searching and looking for a way to respond to some questions from my ex. The Plural Thing provided the boost I needed to respond positively, instead of continuing to harbor ill will and resentment for what was. Thank you Linda for your courage and the wherewithal to stand even when it appeared Satan was busy reeking havoc in your life. The Plural Thing...is a must read. Don't delay. Order your copy today.

Linda Dominique Grosvenor's The Plural Thing: Spiritually Preparing for Your Soul Mate should be recommended reading regardless if you're single or married.

Grosvenor's book is a spiritual blueprint on living a more fulfilling life with or without a mate. She encourages readers to take a mirror view of themselves. I read the book to help jumpstart my personal growth. It's helped me see myself in a more positive light. Working on self does not mean one has to become selfish, it actually makes one more open to loving others. The areas I need growth in are no longer strongholds. They are now mini-goals and no longer seem like a struggle.

The book also encourages readers to figure out what they want before dating even begins. Is what we want in line with what God wants for us? The more I read, the more I had to reflect. We can prepare for our soul mate by loving ourselves and not overlooking someone because of pre-conceived notions.

I feel that readers will have a better understanding of themselves and what they want in a mate, by reading and following the principles in The Plural Thing. It's more than just a book, but an empowering tool to jumpstart you in the right direction.

The book doesn't guarantee that you'll find your soul mate, but it does guarantee a better you and in the end, that's worth more than gold.

Review by Shelia M Goss, National Best-selling author of Double Platinum, My Invisible Husband and Paige's Web

Single men, you would be remiss in thinking that this book won't apply to you. Although it's written by a woman, the very real and universal truth of this book that applies to single men and women alike is DELIVERANCE! Linda writes prolifically about her struggles within herself and how God brought her through a healing process in order to receive the man of God for her. I highly recommend this book. Her honesty about the "not so lovely things" that we singles endure and have to face makes this book real! You have to read it ~ let the spiritual preparation begin!

The Plural Thing by Linda Dominique Grosvenor
Review by Tavares S. Carney
Genre: Non-fiction; Self-Help; Inspirational
Rating: 10 (EchelonBooks); 5 (Amazon)

The Plural Thing: Spiritually Preparing for Your Soul Mate stimulates readers to examine self, and come to grips with the fact that one truly has to be happy within oneself before truly being able to find happiness or make anyone else happy, let alone a spouse. Once one realizes what it means to truly love, it is then and only then that God will send us the mate he intended for us to have. The author shares with readers, true-to-life relationship scenarios from her own life as well as those she's encountered. These are stories of real women, single women, married women, divorced women and separated women - the good, the bad and the ugly. Topics that range from lack of or non-communication between partners, loss of sexual appetite for married women, pressing towards personal goals and more are touched upon. Single women must stand for something and not fall for anything when it comes to finding a spiritual soul mate, finding that true love and real happiness most women desire. For married women, reading this book will prompt you to examine the state of your current relationship. The gripping question readers will be left to answer no matter the stage of their love lives (or not) they are in is - Are you ready? Were you ready? or Will you ever be ready for marriage the way God intended it to be? Grosvenor demonstrates to women firsthand how one can learn to love the way God intended and spiritually prepare for a soul mate.

Over the years, I have read many books and written reviews of some that attracted my attention for various reasons. Recently, I discovered a book series that uses historical events and key persons to illustrate concepts and initiatives that could apply to business. The series, Lessons from History, is the creation of a consultant, Mark Kozak-Holland, and the intention of the series is to examine complex business problems by applying lessons from history. He uses historical case studies to demonstrate how challenges were overcome, offering a unique view for business and technology management to apply the lessons of history to their situations.

The book, Churchill's Adaptive Enterprise: Lessons for Business Today, brings the reader to the late 1930's and early 1940's with descriptions of the world situation and the state of politics and lack of preparedness for World War II that existed in Great Britain. When Churchill became Prime Minister in May 1940, his country was facing the onslaught of Nazi Germany alone, France and the Low Countries had fallen under Germany's control, and Britain was poised to be Hitler's next victim. As we know, Britain survived, it regained strength and allied itself with the United States and the Soviet Union to defeat Hitler and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The questions "How did he do that?", "What were the actions and practices that enabled Churchill to emerge as one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century?" are the subject of Kozak-Holland's book.

This book is fascinating reading, despite the fact that the outcome of WWII is known to the reader. Kozak-Holland explores Churchill and his Cabinet and other advisors' actions to show how, under tremendous pressure, the Prime Minister transformed his organization to the modern-day version of an Adaptive Enterprise. An Adaptive Enterprise modifies the way an organization behaves, how it addresses and responds to change, giving it a competitive advantage.

With no room for error, the use of organizational adaptation, business practices and current technology, combined with the inspiration of the leaders, gave Britain and the allies the opportunity to turn the tide of the war to their favor.

In reading about the practices, technologies, and organization that Churchill established, we can see the emergence of governance and decision-making concepts well before they are widely believed to have been invented. Although the teams created centers of excellence for code-breaking, military command and executive oversight (Bletchley Park, Bentley Priory, Storey's Gate, respectively), the overriding need was for data and process governance, so that these centers could operate both separately and coordinated, depending on the need. These centers handled large amounts of disparate data from multiple sources, and the executive committee needed consolidated data in real time to make immensely important decisions. Developing a data governance approach and framework was essential and it had to be implemented in an unbelievably short time, with the future of Great Britain (and the rest of the world) hanging in the balance.

Churchill's need was for competitive intelligence, and the data supporting that effort was required to be as accurate and timely as possible, given the limitations of technology that existed in 1940. Data quality was deemed to be of utmost importance, and many analysts were employed to perform the data validation and meta data management tasks that are part of the modern data steward's activities. Validated raw data was given to leading analysts ("chief data stewards") for some synthesis and applied to answer the executive committee's questions and address challenges that erupted by the minute. At Storey's Gate, a sophisticated control center was created. It tracked real-time events from all theatres of the war, showing data identified as essential indicators for the allies' performance. The WWII version of an executive dashboard, the command center / map room became so important to Churchill that it was recreated for travel (train and airplane). When Franklin Roosevelt saw the traveling version on Churchill's first visit to the US, he had a similar center created. Eventually, the two command centers were aligned and governance was given the highest priority, enabling the fateful collaboration between Britain and her former colony (SHAPE - Supreme Allied Headquarters - Europe).

Can history teach lessons for modern business and technology management? Quoting Kozar-Holland, "Churchill's use of executive dashboards, real-time event models, institutionalized decision-making, and competitive intelligence analysis helped turn the course of history. It was the first time that intelligence (and governance) had been used on such a scale, across an enterprise and in such a strategic capacity." Modern business may not be engaged in the epic struggle that was World War II, but the use of concepts such as governance, and practices from historical events can give some perspective on their application in 21st century organizations.

There must be some kind of way out of here say the joker to the thief.
-- Jimi Hendrix

Today's business gurus evangelize the benefits of story like a TV evangelist on a book tour. Still, there are few authors who use story to teach business strategy. Enter Mark Kozak-Holland who uses the stories of history to teach the lessons of the adaptive enterprise. Long after you've read and forgotten strategy concepts taught in standard text books, you'll find yourself remembering and applying adaptive enterprise concepts through the stories in Churchill's Adaptive Enterprise; stories that breathe life into the sense and respond organization.

In Churchill's Adaptive Enterprise, author Mark Kozak-Holland shows how to create an adaptive enterprise by using lessons from World War II. In spite of Britain's stunning defeat at the Battle of Dunkirk, and her subsequent limited resources to wage war, Churchill was able to stave off German occupation and give America time to join the war, by making an entire country agile.

The author writes of how the German Luftwaffe believed they were on the verge of wiping out Britain's Royal Air force, and yet, Churchill, through a sense-and-respond network was able to make 50 British fighters seem like hundreds, and demoralize the German air command. Indeed, Churchill had his watchtower.

From a story perspective, this book is brilliant. First, the author didn't try to make up his own story, or worse, create a fable to teach the adaptive enterprise. No, that could of been a disaster. Why? Because Churchill's stand against Hitler is an archetype that is almost impossible to improved upon. I mean, even Spielberg, if he wanted to... would find it difficult to produce a better protagonist and antagonist than Churchill and Hitler. And that's why Saving Private Ryan is the story that it is. It's a story within the context of a larger story.

Second, the book provides a business case for agile.

Finally, if you're brilliant, you'll tell the Churchill stories to each other, so you change your corporate culture. And when your customers start to brag about your products and how you run circles around the competition, you will have differentiated your product in a way that others can't match. What's more, you'll now have your own stories to tell each other and new employees, keeping your adaptive organization alive and well.

To be successful in life or war, you need to be flexible... adaptive. Churchill was a socially adept animal -- He knew how to change and evoke change from others. Within Churchill lived a transformation machine. His mad writing skills were not bestowed upon him like the Queen's crown. In grammar school, when the teacher criticized his writing, he studied and practiced grammar patterns for hours. Later in life, when asked about his facile writing skills, he credited the grammar exercises for his renowned ability to turn a phrase.

Yep, Churchill was one hep, adaptive cat. When others were silent, he gave inspiring speeches; when others embraced rigid processes, he created agile frameworks; when others worried about the fate of England and fled to Canada, he calmed the masses; when others sought shelter during the bombings, he ventured boldly into the firestorm.

I truly believe that in order to move forward, we have to look back at our history. I believe the same is true of business. One of the best ways to solve problems and create innovative strategies is to look at those in our past who succeeded in these areas.

Churchill is a model for adaptation and problem solving. His business was Britain which was faced with two overwhelmingly difficult challenges: keep the British economy stable while also keeping the country safe from German invasion. In order to be successful in these endeavours, the leader had to focus his resources wisely to stay one step ahead of the enemy.

Despite it's usefulness as a model for business problem solving, Churchill's Adaptive Enterprise is a somewhat difficult book to read. The text is filled with IT and business terms so the average business person will need to flip to the glossary in the back of the book frequently to fully comprehend each concept. Moreover, many of the historical examples require somewhat in-depth knowledge of Churchill's exploits. I suggest reading the appendix at the back of the book before moving onto the regular text.

In May of 1940, England faced enormous odds. Since the previous September, the German armies had handily conquered Poland, Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium and the combined armies of Britain and France. France had surrendered and although the bulk of the British army was rescued from Dunkirk, nearly all of their military equipment was now in German hands. Furthermore, the Italians had entered the war on the German side and the German alliance with Russia seemed firm, as both sides had so much to gain by maintaining it.
Now essentially devoid of significant allies and low on supplies, the only hope the British had to carry out the fight was to make more efficient use of what they had. Therefore, the British carried out one of the greatest improvements in managerial operations ever achieved. Winston Churchill selected the right people for all positions, relying almost solely on talent rather than political or social position. His only concessions to political necessity were in allowing some leaders of the political opposition to have high government posts. For example, Clement Attlee was appointed Deputy Prime Minister during the war years. The direness of the times allowed Churchill and his appointees' great range in their actions and power. Fortunately for the British side, they were men of sense and effectiveness.
In this book, the actions of Churchill and his wartime staff are used as a set of demonstration cases for how effective adaptation can be in the business world. Despite the serious differences in the circumstances, after all, no business staff is really battling for its very life, the analogies work. Kozak-Holland does an excellent job in toning the circumstances down to a set of fundamental business circumstances. It has often been said that we must learn from history, this is a book where several lessons can be learned from history and in this case not all of the lessons are direct.
As Churchill showed, a strong will is necessary but not sufficient for success. You must be willing to delegate responsibility and be willing to let the people do their job without micromanaging. When the circumstances warrant it, you must be willing to fire people and also to hold the line against firing people even though others believe that they should be removed.
There is a great deal of business management knowledge that can be learned from this book. It has been said many times that the modern global business competition is just the next generation of warfare. While that is certainly debatable, the points of the debate are not about the fact, just about how far the analogy can be extended. As can be seen here, there are many similarities between modern total war between nations and competition between businesses.

Reviewed by William E. Cooper for Reader Views (6/06)

Mark Kozak-Holland has written one of the best and most fascinating management, leadership, and business books I've read. As a retired Chief of Police with two graduate degrees, and one who teaches graduate school courses, as well as being the author of my own book "Leading Beyond Tradition," I found this to be a "can't put it down" book. It is a literal page turner, comparing Winston Churchill's incredibly complex set of problems at the outset of and during World War II with today's management issues, then providing legitimate and very well thought out solutions.

It is about the tremendous change the world and our organizations are facing and the need for being agile and adapting to frequently changing conditions. It is about getting the right people in, the wrong people out, and the right people in the right places. It is about having a vision and a strategy for achieving it; it is about change management. The examples used are incredibly profound and clearly applicable to today's business needs and environment. This book is a must-read and should not only be in every manager's library, but should be a university text book and part of every library. I strongly recommend Mr. Kozak-Holland's book. Well done sir.

I enjoyed this story about a cowboy and his girl told as the tale develped and it kept me up way past my bedtime to see how it all turned out. Altogether it was an enjoyable tale and very moving. The loss of a loved one was an undercurrent throughout the book until a new life is born into this world. Good stuff!!

When reading this book you may not realize just how much of Mr. Cord's own life experience influenced the characters. However, by reading this story you'll actually gain insight into his personal life tragedies. In effect, this book is part autobiography and part fiction, truly a labor of love from Mr. Cord.

A Hollywood legend who starred in "Airwolf" (1984-1986), Mr. Cord is perhaps best known for his proficient horsemanship and appearances in high-profile westerns such as "Stagecoach."

This book is absolutely amazing. Having lost a child, I found that Alex Cord captured the true essence of a parent facing the loss of a child. I laughed and cried at the touching force he gives as a greiving parent, finding the love of his life and bringing a new being into the world to love and cherish, but never trying to let him take Damien Zachary's place, just fill the void. The horse language is true in every sense of the word, to imagine the majestic beauty of the Cutting Horse. Truly a book well worth reading. Thank you, Alex!!

As a Radio Talk Show Host I have interviewed 100's of authors. Alex Cords' "A Feather in the Rain" is a MUST READ! To find out about the real Alex Cord, I would recommend that you read this book. Its to bad that there are not more men like him in the world today! If you have ever seen a horse, I say READ THIS BOOK! I would also have to say that, BAR NONE!, also the best Radio interview that I have ever had and, believe me, I have had alot. Without ever meeting Alex in person I consider him a true friend.

If you have suffered loss, some personal healing will be found in the pages of this book. Alex opened up his heart on this one. Just read it!

I am a solo female traveler who has just spent three months in East Africa. Every traveler I met had this guide. I agree that it is the 'bible' of east africa. Travelling to this area you don't have much of a choice of travel guides and this gives good information on all the little villages, how to get around, how to survive a matatu.... all the visa infomation, cultural information.... everything you need to have an awesome trip.

I also recommend getting the Trekking East Africa guide if you plan on doing any trekking. It goes more in depth then just the East Africa guide and if you find yourself on a mountain you will want a detailed map, which the East Africa guide lacks.

I just did a trip to Kenya and Tanzania (Fall '04), and this book was invaluable! Everything was described in great detail - where to go, how much to pay, what route to take - which is great information when a mob of 20 taxi drivers is trying to wisk you in every direction!
This is definitely the book to have for this part of the world!
Happy Travels!

There are many places in the world you can travel to without a Lonly Planet. East Africa is not part of that. East Africa is no doubt one of the most beautiful parts of the world but travelling and getting around here is not easy at all and has many "dangers" one should be aware of.

There are many ways to do it. You can go on an all organised expensive safari in Kenya or Tanzania. Even then I would think you would like to see some of the places outside the parks like Nairobi or Arusha.

The best way to do it is to travel by yourself. I have done it a couple of times now and find that all the organization by travel agents does not make up for the flexibility you have when you do it yourself. I have been in bad weather conditions necessitating an immediate change of plans. I have been so overwhelmed by the beauty of the Serengeti that I decided on the spot to stay longer. I have been so disgusted by some hotels I prebooked that I decided instantly to look for another one.

This book gives excellent and absolutely necessary guidance to do so. The getting around sections are good and up to date and, believe me, without it you will not find your way out of, e.g.Arusha on a bus to Nairobi. Local assistance is difficult to find.

Booking hotels in countries like Tanzania is not like we are used in the rest of the world. In most of the parks you have one or two lodges and if they are full you are outside; not a nice pprospect when you are right in the middle of the animals. The pricing information is fair and, again, you have to do some planning given the huge differences in prices between hotels.If you plan to stay in the Rhino lodge in the Ngorogoro Crater and the only open one is the Sopa, it will set you back at least an additional $100.

All the "facts for visitors" in particular the medical sections are good and should be read carefully. They can keep you from very annoying situations.

The safari sections are good and provide an abundance of companies you can organise your own tours with. They can be checked out in advance. The best way to do it however, if you have time, is to spend a few days in Nairobi or Arusha and compare the offers of the various companies and talk to the owners to see what they provide. You will be amazed how good and cheap these local operators are. A further advantage is that they go off the beaten track, so that you are not having a situation where eleven Volkswagen busses are in a circle around a sleeping lion.

For those reallly into it, try out camping in the Serengeti or Arusha. You will find yourself one with nature and, allthough there are no fences and you should keep a good fire going, relatively safe.

For those less adventurous and on a more tight schedule, the Guide still contains such a wealth of information and little sections on 'nice to knows' that it is well worth the investment.

If I would be allowed to advise I would prefer the Tanzanian side to the Kenyan side for going on safari. It is definitely more beautiful ond not half as busy.

Finally, I will never forget the images I took away from this part of the world. Cheeta's running through the grasslands in chase of prey. Lion mothers tending their cubs, the vast herds of wildebeest, the zebra's, giraffes peeping curiously through the leaves at your car and the wonderful sunsets sitting at a campfire and reflecting and the beauty of creation.

I hope you will enjoy your trip.

I recently spent 3 months traveling and working in East Africa, and found the LP guide to be a great help. I selected the regional guide because I would be traveling in several countries, and I banked on the fact that it would give enough detail on each one. Even though it clearly doesn't give as much detail as the individual country guidebooks, it definitely gave enough to send me in the right direction, always with accurate maps, phone numbers, prices, etc. in hand. One word of caution, the Rwanda and Burundi chapters are tiny. They give you a good start, but if you're seriously thinking of going to either of these countries, you need much more than this guide can offer.

I did appreciate that the authors were honest about the fact that there are many different possible itineraries in the region, and they try to help you choose one for yourself rather than feeding a list of "must-sees" to you. In addition, the chapters on safaris are quite honest when they advise travelers to investigate things for themselves; the only way to select a low- or medium-budget safari is to do some legwork yourself.

All in all, a great book! A must-have for any independent traveler to East Africa!

I think this book has to referred to as The Bible by anyone who has been to East Africa. Great for helping you get around the area. If you are working there like I was it is great for helping you figure out weekend excursions. Assume that the prices aren't exaclty right, especially since you can pretty much negotiate a price for anything anywhere down there. Don't worry about taking other books just get this one and you are set. Have fun in East Africa!

Not only is Hilary Page a fine artist, but she writes wonderful books that explain art technique.

If you aren't pleased with the results you are getting when mixing colors, do read this book.

If you are a watercolorist, the Guide to Watercolor Paints by the same author is valuable reading as well.

I'm new to watercolor painting and suffering from the beginner's consequence of too many books and too many paints. I wish I would have bought this book first, much time and $$ would have been saved. Her suggestions for testing each tube of paint to learn unique pigment qualites, pigment colors, color theory, color schemes, primary colors, complements, and optical mixtures have proven invaluable.

The excercises included are easy to follow and serve to instill her unsaid mantra. Learn your paints learn your paints learn your paints! I've had this book for several months - still working through some of her excercises and foresee that I will continue to refer to this book many times in the future.

After reading Hilary Page's book, it occurred to me how painting classes should maybe start with lessons on color rather than charcoal drawing. Her detailed explanation of color is grouped in three main aspects: objective color (measured by instruments), optical color (perceived by eye) and practical color (working with pigments). The theoretical aspects are then proven in practical examples which are also used for demonstrating her watercolor techniques, producing some very pleasing artwork.

Details on pigments are particularly valuable. Pigment properties like clarity, tinting strength, purity, value range, degree of opacity, consistency related to the degree of sediment, wet-on-wet behavior, staining when rewetted etc. will be new to many. Knowing such details will help you prevent some strange "accidents" that can spoil your work.

Rare books on color point out the difference between the pigment-color contrasts and the light-color contrast. Hilary Page is very specific regarding these contrasts: she shows two types of color wheels and two sets of primary and complementary colors. She also explains "spectral reflectance curves" that give us an insight to understanding why printers use "balanced" primary colors.

A book on color naturally requires high quality print without any color distortion and this one doesn't fail here either.

I just finished reading this well-thought-out and completely researched watercolor book. I am still new to water colors and am challenged and frustrated by this medium. Page's chapter on the history,nomenclature, and categories of pigments was incredibly interesting and will become a permanent edition to my water color reference library. I have seen many variations of color wheels in my 35 years of teaching---her watercolor pigment wheel is based on her own palette, and includes placement of saturated, unsaturated, and neutral pigments. I slso found the chapter on optical color effects fascinating.

As a professional watercolourist with over twenty five years of experience and an advanced understanding of colour I can tell you that this is an excellent reference book. Definitely a great tool for art instructors. Even though the writer sees it as a book for beginners I feel that the complexity of the subject will probably be overwhelming for beginners.

As part of my daily job, I lead agile projects in a large organization. I usually use a number of different sources to get the information that I need on different aspects of agile development and leading agile projects. I really like this book for a number of reasons: (1) I like the fact that it is written by a number of respected experts in the area; (2) I like its style in chapters like 5 that summarizes lessons learned in a set of principles; (3) Chapter like 14 clears confusions on topics like "agile documentation".

I enjoy and benefit from this book and you should find it useful if you are also engaged in leading and managing agile projects.

Reviewed by Regan Windsor for Reader Views (3/07)

"Managing Agile Projects" provides a comprehensive and well-balanced look at the various components of agile project management. It contains a compilation of "chapters" from seventeen industry authors.

Describing the key elements of agile methodology, "Managing Agile Projects" provides an analysis of iterative and incremental delivery, active stakeholder participation, communication, agile documentation, extreme testing, and quality focus. Through real and hypothetical examples readers gain a thorough understanding of how agile methodology is applied to project management.

Kevin Aguanno has done an excellent job of compiling publications and agile community expertise into an easy to read, articulate guidebook covering the history of agile methods, how the methodology differs from traditional methods, when the methodology works, and in what situations it may not be appropriate in its entirety.

"Managing Agile Projects" is a recommended read for all project managers, software developers, and anyone with an interest in leading edge methodology!

This is the book I use the most when I need agile techniques for my projects. It contains all the info you need from a managers perspective; when you need a technique, and how to apply. I am very happy with all the fundamental explanations on why certain techniques can help you out with a project problem. Stakeholder participation, requirements, testing, development strategies, it is all in there. And best of all, without hype.

My favorite chapter is "Stealth Methodology Adoption" which explains how to sell to higher level management that you are going agile.

With contributions from Scott Ambler, Alistair Cockburn, Larry Constantine and Ronald Jeffries you know that the advice presented is from real experts.

Aguanno's book is an excellent overview of agile project management methodologies and practices. Aguanno assembles leading authorities in the field to contribute their experiences and knowledge directly from real experiences. The numerous management techniques discussed will help you use agile methods to increase the value and effectiveness of all your projects. Anyone wishing to learn more about agile, or project management in general, will benefit from this book.

I first bought this with some concern that it was another book just espousing the need to adopt agile project management/agile software development methods; however, I was delighted to see that the book included so much more. The first couple of chapters do explain the history of the evolution of the agile method, but do so in a way that focuses on the benefits to the business stakeholders for allowing technical teams to adopt these methods, such as the several different ways that agile methods reduce risk. The next section of the book talks about how managing agile projects is different from traditional projects, and gives specific examples of the differences and how to change your project management behavior to match the new environment. The third section of the book was amazing -- it detailed a number of agile management techniques that I could adopt today into my project, without the need for necessarily adopting a whole new methodology. The last section of the book talks about some of the "gotchas" that we have to watch out for when using these agile methods. One special nugget was the last chapter which gives instructions on how to adopt these techniques and practices into an organization or onto an existing project without attracting the notice of the "process police" in an organization. I like this concept of changing the way I work while flying under the radar. I HIGHLY recommend this book to project managers, business managers, and senior technical leads of teams who are using (or would like to use) agile software development methods.

One of the most beautifull books I have. Very clear and encouraging. Lovely to the eye and for the mood... =)

By all means, buy the book and try it. This is the official textbook. But if you really want to learn this art seriously, you need to get a certified teacher. Check japaneseembroidery.com for pictures and a list of teachers.

This book is great if you want to learn Japanese Embroidery, and are already a decent stitcher. I would not recommend it to a complete novice - it is a difficult method of embroidery that can easily overwhelm the new stitcher. The pictures are clear and the text is easy to read.

I highly recommend this book.

The book is full color with BIG diagrams and closeups of the stitches. There are also many gorgeous pictures of completed works to inspire one. There are some very impressive looking techniques in this book, yet because of the clear explanations it was very easy for me to pick up the idea, start and finish my projects (and they came out pretty well for a beginner like me, if I do say so myself. Some of my past embroidery attempts were pretty pathetic). In short, it makes a lot of sense and isn't hard to understand at all.

The explanation of tools and necessary materials is very complete, yet I could still accomplish the various techniques with a cheap embroidery hoop, an embroidery needle, cotton cloth, and floss (rayon seems to work better at filling in large areas than cotton. Rayon looks more like the silk in the book). Still, it's nice to know about the other tools. I am sure they would be helpful for larger projects.

The pages are heavy enough that the book will stay open to the pages while one is embroidering (believe me this helps). I've used it in many projects and it's still in great shape (some of my other paperback "how to" craft books have fallen apart at the binding after similar use).

There is a little bit of history and some explanation of symbols and motifs (from pages 9-25). I found this fascinating. It's nice to know more than just "how to."

I think this is a great book! I especially liked the "weaving stitches" and his examples of layering stitches on top of stitches. They really make my projects look really fancy!

I purchased this book for my wife who is learning this technique and her words were, 'the best book I have ever seen on this subject'. She says that this book gives more advice and is more easily followed than any other books she has seen. It is meant for the beginner who is new to the technique and is therefore invaluable.

My daughter loves this book. She plays the songs everyday. She now knows all the characters from Sesame Street. The pop ups are great but just a little flimsy.

My [...] son received this book for his birthday and it became a fast favorite. He loves to push the buttons and listen to the music. He also quickly found the "stop" button and likes to stop the music if he doesn't like my singing--then he laughs. This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

My son received this as a first birthday present and still reads it everyday (7 months later!) The pop-ups are all torn, but he loves the music. This is one of his favorite books!

Elmo is everyone's favorite character come alive in this musically interactive book.

My 19 month old daughter LOVES this book! She spends more time with this book than anything else. I wish they would make more books like this. I would definitely recommend this book!!! Not only keeps your child busy but gives mom some quiet time. :)

The "Blank Star" review at the bottom is actually just a snipet of self promotion from the book's author Rob Howard. It's strange that he does this because it drags down the average rating which could affect sales. I suppose that since this book is out of print it doesn't matter, but anyway, great book, one complaint: Some of the tools that Howard recommends are no longer manufactured and it would be nice to get some existing alternatives.

This is one of the beswt books i have in my collection. I have studied arts in Holland. I like gouache very much. (www.loekweijts.nl) It's a pitty however Holbein gouache is not available in the Netherlands. Falling in love on the mighty gouache. Amazed myself with the results. A MUST to have.

This is almost the only book you'll need to get started with gouache. As the medium of such outstanding artists as the late Bob Peak and industrial design master Syd Mead, gouache has so many possibilities IF you can learn how to use it and this book will tell you exactly how to get started! Be sure to do the exercises, get some decent sable brushes, and use one of the quality gouaches listed. Winsor Newton is pricey but Holbein's Acryla gouache is incredible once you figure out their color names (not standard like W&N or Holbeins standard gouache). His basic color palletes are a great start & his recommendation of the Quiller color wheel is right on. There is a new Quiller wheel out but the one in the book will not lead you astray. Study(!) the sections on color and color mixing and you will soon have a leg up on every other "beginner" and start seeing "what" makes some art professional as opposed to "straight out of the tube" amateur attempts. This book is great and I recommend it highly to anyone who wants to paint in gouache.

This book is an excellent introduction to the best techniques for painting in gouache, also known as opaque watercolor. Gouache has been a standard medium for illustrators for generations, yet it is not often taught in American art schools. It also has been used by fine artists for centuries. Gouache is remarkably easy to use, has low toxicity and is easy to clean up. Considering all that, it is amzing how little information about is available for professional artists.

Howard's book goes a long way toward correcting the problem. He explains how to select the right type of paint for your project, reviews several different brands of paint, and gives sound advice on color mixing. Even if you don't want to use opaque watercolor, the book is worth buying just for Howard's chapter on "Color Theories That Don't Work."

This book is jam packed with valuable information for not just painters who work in gouache, but all painters. If you only have room or money for just a few more books, make sure that this is one of them. It is excellent, I have worked in illustration and and have painted in watercolors for 24 years. Many gouache techniques and properties, for some reason, are not commonly taught. Some of the working knowledge in here is the type that one only learns either on the job, or as an assistant/apprentice. The author has been very generous to be so informative while writing this book. Definitely not your average "how to" book!!

Get this book. Do anything you have to in order to own it. I paid $250 at the Art Institute of Chicago because I was afraid I would miss out...again. This is a collector's piece if you got the first edition. If not, don't hesitate. It is interesting, intriging, thought provoking, ahead of it's time....and not just for 'creative' types. Something good for everyone.

This is the most extraordinary book I've ever owned! I missed out when it was first published as a limited edition and I vowed that if it ever came back,I would grab one. Bravo to Rizzoli Publishers for re-issuing this hard-to-find classic!

These facsimile pages from the twelve issues of Flair are a celebration of Fleur Cowles zest for creativity in the arts. The 338 pages must have been a challenge for the Hong Kong printers, they had to cope with various foldout pages, die-cut holes, different paper stock and bind in several short pages, two concertina foldouts and five sixteen page booklets.

Sumptuous though the book is I feel that Flair is resting in its reputation. To my mind, having worked as a publication art director, the photos, typography and layouts are very conservative and do not show any particular innovative design. Other magazines and designers were much more creative in the fifties, 'Fortune' with Will Burtin, 'Glamour' with Cipe Pineless, 'Harper's Bazaar' with Alexey Brodovitch and 'Vogue' with Alexander Liberman. Certainly the covers with their die-cut holes (sadly only six of the twelve are included) and the bound in booklets were unique to consumer magazines at the time but I think that Flair should be remembered as a magazine concept rather than a magazine full of creativity.

Fleur Cowles writes a short piece about the origins of Flair (handwritten in gold on dark blue paper) but does not give enough detail (I believe each issue involved several printers and binders) and as there were only twelve issues a list of all the articles should have been included. Another reviewer has commented that the high price (reassuringly expensive?) and the cloth covered box the book comes in reflects snob appeal, I agree but I'm still pleased to have a copy.

I first became acquainted with Fleur Cowles' revolutionary 'Flair' magazine during my childhood in the fifties. At that time the publication impressed me with its cultured blend of cosmopolitan sophistication and innovative design, although it didn't escape me that its pages also included a great deal of elitism, snobbery and self-congratulatory arrogance. Although I wasn't fortunate to keep any of the original issues, the magazine became a significant influence in the development of my literary and artistic tastes and in my life-long quest for beauty and elegance. For that I was grateful. So it was a joy to learn that a best-of compilation put together by Fleur Cowles herself had finally appeared. The original 1996 printing sold out before I could manage to acquire a copy and when Rizzoli recently published a second run I quickly got one. This edition has a foreword by writer-socialite Dominick Dunne. Now, is it really worth the rather steep price of [price]? Well... I think that for that kind of money the publishers could have managed to provide us with something much more substantial, for example: a slipcased set containing facsimile editions of all twelve original issues, rather than this comprehensive but ultimately limited look. A complete reprint would have given us the full impression of the range and period feel of a unique magazine, and at this price I think that they could have well afforded to do it. I understand that part of the reason for this expensive price tag is the snob appeal that has always been a part of the Flair mystique and that perhaps this offering is to be regarded as literary caviar for the more discerning (and well-off) among us. On the plus side I must say that the large-format book is lavishly printed, that the articles are indeed very well selected - containing not quite all but much of the best of the short-lived magazine - and that the presentation is very handsome indeed. Several of the covers are reproduced with their distinctive die-cuts and embossing and the book is housed in an elegant cloth-covered box. I still think it could have been more reasonably priced but there it is. Caviar lovers, enjoy it before it disappears again!