N Books

This is a wonderful Buffy the Vampire Slayer resource guide. It really is a shame that it is so hard to find now, because it really does answer a lot of questions.
Unlike the Watcher Guide books it gives great detail about episodes and characters There are also interesting side notes about meanings for some episodes and what the entitle idea for them were.
Characters like Xander, Willow, Giles , and etc... Are also mentioned a lot, and there is no doubt that you will learn something new about the series in this.
Even though this is a very heavy novel I totally recommend it. As a Buffy fan and reader I really think it is worth hunting for.
If you want some other good Buffy references. Then check out the Monster Book by Christopher Golden. This is another really good book about Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
However, if you can handle all of the reading in this book. Then you will defiantly enjoy this.

This really is a very good book and it's a shame that it's so hard to find. There is so much covered in this book about Buffy. Ever since Buffy has ended a few years ago. It seems like more people are interested in it then ever.
There are a few resources books out there that really can explain the series well.
This is one of them.
One of the things I found hard about this one though was that it was rather long and ongoing.
However, if you can get past that I think you'll enjoy it.

Don't bother with any other unauthorised Buffy reference guides as Keith Topping's 'Slayer' books are the only ones you'll ever need. This guide is packed with all sorts of information and Keith doesn't shy away from giving his informed and personal opinions about the series. He also briefly covers the spin-off comics, books and websites.

Keith Topping is a talented writer (check out his Doctor Who novels from BBC Books and Telos) and his episode guides are the best ones on the market. He has also written a companion book that covers Angel called 'Hollywood Vampire' which is well worth purchasing.

Each episode, up to and including season 5, gets 3-to-6 pages of coverage, organized under various thematic headings: Plot summary, music, memorable quotes, comments on the women's clothing, continuity errors, logic flaws, pop culture references, etc. Books of this nature are enjoyable because it's fun to compare one's reaction with the author's reaction, and Topping notices every tiny detail.

There are also separate essays: (1) History of the vampire myth, (2) 'The Outsiders' as a series theme, (3) BtVS and real-life school violence, (4) BtVS and the internet, and (5) disputes with the TV networks. As well, each BtVS novel gets about a page of coverage.

This differs from other BtVS books because of Topping's perspective as a Brit. He's a bit thin-skinned about the anti-British jibes, especially Principal Flutie's snide remark about the royal family in the second episode (Flutie was right!). On the other hand, Topping sees connections between BtVS and US culture with an objectivity that US viewers lack. Apart from the vampires, Sunnydale is a bit too perfect to be realistic, and it's certainly bizarre that a southern California town would be so lily-white. It is only in the 7th season (beyond the scope of this book) that we see a recurring black character (Principal Wood) and a recurring hispanic character (Iyari Limon as 'Kennedy'). Topping notes that (white) Americans often see themselves as decent people, perhaps overly trusting, fighting off non-white underclass intruders who seek to ruin their caucasian paradise. See the connection? Does the shoe fit?

There are a number of Buffy episode guides on the market, but Keith Topping's are my favorite by a considerable margin. Both volumes of THE WATCHER'S GUIDE are very fine, but I find they are more useful for the large number of interviews with cast and crewmembers. Although Topping ends his volume with some interesting essays and reviews of various Buffy-related publications and websites, the vast bulk of his guides are devoted to the episodes themselves. Currently this guide to episodes 1-5 is out of print in the United States (though available from Britain, I believe), and only the guide to Episode 6 in print here. Hopefully, they will bring out a new one-volume edition of seasons 1-7.

Each episode is covered in around 4-6 pages, offering a very brief synopsis of the plot, some of the better quotes, some ravings about the highpoints, a fun section about illogical elements, a general comment section at the end, and a host of other fun things. Oh yeah, those wanting to know about the music in each show can find a list here. I don't agree with his evaluation of each episode (e.g., he hates "Anne," which starts off Season 3, along with many others, but I think it is one of the best episodes ever, with a great deal of super clever writing that many people seem to miss), but he is always fun to argue with, and he is never merely sloppy. Most of all, Topping is clearly a fan of great TV, and there is the spirit of a fellow-fan informing the book as a whole. I also like the fact that each episode is introduced with the publication of the original date in the U.S. and in Great Britain, and also gives the titles in their French and German releases.

Now, I don't want to be misunderstood here, but this is also one of the great bathroom books of all time. It rates right up there with Dave Marsh's THE BOOK OF ROCK LISTS,THE NORTON ANTHOLOGY OF POETRY, and THE ESSENTIAL BIFF. Never underestimate the value of a good bathroom book.

I studied this book like a Bible when I was a kid, lying on the floor all weekend. I started on the easy reads like Allie Oop and Buster Brown, then slowly got drawn-in to strange ones like Krazy Kat. I was surprised by the great narratives in strips I'd only seen in tired forms, like Popeye and Mickey Mouse. All the way into college I was still making new discoveries, eventually coming all the way back to love the pure optimism of Buster Brown. Astounding examples of art are all through this book; It's amazing.

This is a beautifully packaged collection of some of the very best comic-strip art from the first half of the 20th century (and a little more). The reproduction is very good, the introductory material is useful and informative and the selection of strips is first rate.

In particular, having collected several of these strips in other formats over the years (e.g. "Little Nemo", "Polly and Her Pals" and "Krazy Kat"), I can say that they've selected many of my personal favorites for inclusion here.

As I write this, this book is basically in "remainder" status meaning that it is available brand new for very cheap, but has gone out of print in hardcover - pick it up while you can!

Growing up in the 60s & 70s, I wasn't much enamored of comic strips appearing in the newspaper with a scant few exceptions. Newspaper comics were awfully stale if not comatose at the time; they smell even worse now. In light of this reality, thank God I found this book 20 years ago. To me, this mammoth oversized anthology of color and b/w strips (mostly vintage 1895-1950) was and is an education, a revelation and a door to a separate reality. Who knew that such fully realized, utterly compelling and unique works of art were once commonplace features in our daily and Sunday newspapers? Compiler Bill Blackbeard provides minimal but insightful commentary, which only underscores his good taste as the majority of SMITHSONIAN is devoted to the actual comics themselves. Wherever possible, he provides continuities of strips to give the reader not only a fuller flavor of the individual storylines and the era they appeared in, but each strip's particular dynamic with its audience. What's also impressive is the sheer number of titles sampled. Among the weightier excerpts are Popeye, Moon Mullins, Wash Tubbs/Capt. Easy, Barney Google, Polly and her Pals, Krazy Kat...but many of the lightly-skimmed properties are just as good. Set aside their enormous entertainment value and what you may find most impressive is how starkly individual each strip creator is; what ends up on the page is the sum total of one man's creative & emotional being, distorted through a prism of fantasy or slapstick or melodrama. Your net gain as reader: 336 pages of the kind of joyous, crazy, all-elbows-and-graceful-despite-it art that can only emerge from forms that the Arbiters of Taste don't take very seriously. Splendid as this book is the first time 'round, it continues to enrich you, always revealing more with every subsequent re-reading. Out of print for a while but readily available through the online auction services; I also hear it's being reissued soon. By the way, the other mandatory strip anthologies are the 'sequel' to this one (COMIC STRIP CENTURY), an important predecessor (Robinson's THE COMICS) and the entire run of Rick Marschall's NEMO magazine; happily, there is next to no duplication of strips reprinted between all of them (apparently the archivist's code of honor). If this book floors you like it did me, seek them out and flabbergast further.

not a longwinded anecdote about an age by someone who wasnt a part of it but the strips, sundays and dalies, from the turn of the century heavy into the forties with a quick touch of fifties to top it off. has the prestige and backing of the smithsonian, so the selection is incredible, complete storylines are presented, color, large format, things youve never seen before and will never see again. thimble theatre, krazy kat, flash gordon, ally oop, mutt and jeff, king aroo, dasheil hammet, rube goldberg, walt disney, dick tracy, little orphan annie, white boy, li'l abner, terry and the pirates, winsor mckay including little nemo sundays, a large number of teens and twenties strips i cant name, a large number of thirties and forties strips i cannot name, i am in awe of this book. i am a comic maker and reader and this book is absolutely flooring.

One day I had to go to the library to get a book from my 7th grade reading list and I saw this huge book of comics and I just had to take it out. I read it probably 100 times .It became my favorite book.My favorite comics were Popeye, Gasoline Alley, The Smythes,and Krazy Kat. I love this book and you will to. So my advice to you is if you love comics you will love this book!

This book is not only a great resource guide for those new to designing with stones, but also fun to look at and inspirational. I found ideas for the bathroom, kitchen, and even for a staircase.

I work for a natural stone retailer in Texas, and this book gives me ideas for customers. Many of my store's clients want to take this book home or buy it. I don't let them take it home of course; I suggest that they buy one on Amazon.com.
In my opinion, I think it makes a good coffee table book as well, since when people are waiting in my showroom, I see them browsing through this book. I wish there were more books like this one.

This is a great book. it will give you detailed information about the stone types that you can use in your house and great photos. i'm in the stone flooring business and this book helps my customers to visualize the final look of the stone they choose from my showroom floor. it also has a section with patterns so you dont have to figure out how to lay stones in different sizes to make a pattern.

We are considering having our kitchen remodeled and definitely want to replace the current Corian with some type of stone. This book covers stone used in kitchens and baths. Besides the gorgeous photographs, the book includes lots of helpful tips in helping you chose the right stone for your project. Each photo is described with caption of what the stone is, including the pattern or color. The chapters include the stone kitchen, bath, floor and architectural stone. What is really nice is that it addresses various possible focal points, such as the stone vent hood in the kitchen or a beautiful stone fireplace.

The book encompasses multiple styles, designs and patterns for counters, floors, backsplashes and walls. For the photography and ideas alone, this book is worth the price but it has so much more. It includes tips and pointers for using stone in various places. For example, on page 66, there is a side bar that has Ideas for the Shower. It includes tips like "When chosing a polished granite for the shower walls, keep in mind that water spots are magnified on a polished surface."

This books covers all kinds of natural stone: limestone, granite, travertine, marble, slate. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

This book describes the nature of various types of stones and the recommended usage inside and outside the home. I've used this book as a guide to show my local stone dealer what type of stones I'm looking for. And also used it to illustrate the concept of my dream home to my Interior Designer, she understood immediately without us having to go through many rounds of interview to get it right. As a result, my dream home is now almost complete with stones from all over the world, marbles from Spain, Italy, Iran.... granite from Norway and Indonesia... coral stones, tumblestones, slates, and many more.... Wonderful pictures and illustrations, I'd recommend this book to anyone! Suitable for modern Asian homes too!

It was refreshing to read a book about twins that wasn't all research and statistics. This book tells a short story about the lives of twins that are either famous or have accomplished something extraordinary or stick out in some other way. Notables are Muhammad Ali's twin daughter, the Hennessy's, Tamera and Tia (Sister Sister show), Mario Andretti and his twin Aldo and Jane Seymour's twin boys. Also the story of the Jim Twins (in every book about twins) and the famous Hensel conjoined twins.

Very interesting reading, and I agree it's a good coffee table book. I do think they should have more boy-girl and other fraternal twins sets represented though.

Not only do the "twin authors" provide a first-hand glimpse into the world of "being a twin"...but through the plethora of inspiring interviews with "real-life" twins, they gave me the "real-life" gift of stopping to think of "being human!"

This book truly touched my heart. I am a twin and felt that it honestly portrayed the many complex and deep emotions and issues that twins experience. I can't wait to share this book with my twin and family! And there are so many amazing people in the book. I didn't realize Muhammad Ali and Jane Seymour had twins. And how different each relationship can be, yet also have such commonalities. I absolutely love this book and find myself opening it up often to read an essay and look at the beautiful photos.

I liked this book enough. I was disappointed that it focused so much on identical twins and same-sex twins. (My twins are boy/girl...there is only one vignette in the book.) I haven't found myself reading it over and over. The pictures are lovely and the stories are fine. I give it a B or maybe B+.

Not only do the "twin authors" provide a first-hand glimpse into the world of "being a twin"...but through the plethora of inspiring interviews with "real-life" twins, they gave me the "real-life" gift of stopping to think of "being human!"

The book, The Upside-Down Kingdom, is an excellent book. I would highly recommend it. I also would highly recommend your services. You, again, were very prompt and very accurate in your response. Thank you. Agnes Goertzen

Don Kraybill has done a wonderful job of clearing any misconceptions of the purpose of Jesus' ministry in the three years he was on this earth. Kraybill looks at opposites in our society such as rich and poor, slave and free, amongst others and tackling the realities of each being apart of the other. The book has had a real impact on my relationship with God and my relationship with others. I recommemd the book to anyone who is looking for ways to make changes in our right-side up kingdom.

"-teaching and preaching ministries ought to call people to a common faith in Jesus Christ that transcends social ties. Is our common bond of unity in Christ stronger than the social glue that holds us together? This is precisely the genius of the gospel. Diverse people from all sorts of boxes are reconciled together in Jesus Christ." (pg 226)

Kraybill, Donald B. The Upside Down Kingdom Revised Ed. Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1990. 275pg.

Authors Purpose(s)
In part this book is meant to show the believer what the world could be if we would only live out the beatitudes in our lives. The book clearly has human relationships in mind with everything it says. It is an assessment of the sociological systems in place and the statements of Jesus. It is about the upside down kingdom that Jesus ushered us into and how he was not only countercultural in His day but also in our own. As Donald Kraybill writes, "I hope the upside down perspective will provoke stimulating discussions enabling Christian believers to more accurately discern God's will for their lives."
Survey of Covered Topics
1. In the first section of this book Donald Kraybill defines the world he sees around him as being upside down from the world God created for His people. He also looks at a number of "detour[s]" that people use to "evade the kingdom message and bypass its relevance for today." These detours include a number of lies we allow ourselves to believe, such as seeing Jesus as culturally irrelevant to our society or the over spiritualization of Christ's words that make them emotional and take away from their practicality.
2. The second section of the book deals with the political, religious, and economic situations or Jesus' day. The main thrust however is devoted to political sways. Special interest is paid to the attitudes of the Jews towards gentile culture around the time of Alexander and Herod the Great.
3. This third section deals with the complexities of Jewish code and its casts of people. Great descriptors are given of the temple and the worshipers and solid distinctions are made between casts. Most importantly however is the explanation of those Jews for whom hope was found in the coming kingdom of the Messiah.
4. In the fourth section Kraybill asks the reader to look at the divisions of wealth and poor. There is also an important underlining theme that suggests Christ' wish to return to Galilee and care for the physical needs of the poor. It is clearly a precursor to talk later about "blessed is the poor" and "blessed are the hungry" in later chapters.
5. Chapter five is closely related as is talks about slavery and Jubilee. This chapter is about God being the true owner of everything including the people of the world and how we are but lowly stewards of his creation. It is about Christ and his relationship to the people and about a new kind of celebration of the Jubilee in an unexpected way.
6. This section of the book gives an extremely interesting picture of Zacchaeus and the rich young ruler and the existence of "treasures in heaven" and gives a wonderful example of Christ' view of money. Continually Christ used stories and images to overturn the assumptions of the day and uphold the low, the poor and the oppressed. Interestingly though the poor are not let off the hook by Christ when it comes to giving. They are shown to be just as expected to give as everyone else. (127)
7. Similarly Chapter seven looks at the parable of the talents and our responsibility to what we have been given from God. The chapter also talks about the ancient version of "health and wealth gospel" and how we are to seek the Kingdom of God's Judgment and not monetary wealth. It also talk about the persistent presence of the poor, the importance of tithing, the attitude and means by which you give, and perhaps most importantly the ability to asses ourselves on the world scale of wealth and not on the lists printed in Forbes.
8. In this section Mr. Kraybill devotes much time to the discussion of piety. He writes about the divisions of Pharisees and Sadducees. He writes about the Laws of Moses and differing applications. He writes about Jesus' picking of grain on the Sabbath and about cleanliness. Christ' expectance of the "unclean" or "last" is a direct counter to the culture of the Church in his day and Kraybill presents a case by which Jesus upturned this system. (159)
9. By chapter nine, Donald Kraybill has begun to get into the more difficult assertion of Christ to love ones enemies. Here much attention is paid to the word "Agape" and how it is applied to loving our neighbors who Kraybill describes as "everyone". (188) Though not fully dealt with in terms of "Law" Kraybill also confronts Jesus' command to overturn or add to the law of "an eye for an eye". (190-195) Perhaps nowhere else does the author show Christ' upside down ideas about the kingdom then he does here.
10. The tenth chapter of this book focuses on the different kinds of social connections people make with each other. It then shows the reader a number of applications including nationalism, ethnic superiority, religious piety, and sexual discrimination. These things Mr. Kraybill calls blocks "to the commission to evangelize", and what's more he gives examples of Jesus breaking down these barriers. (226)
11. In this section Donald Kraybill talks about the authority of Jesus and how he uses it for the good of others. It is about how Jesus came to serve and "look up the ladder". (244) As Kraybill writes "The hallmark of Jesus' upside-down power was his willingness to spurn what was rightfully his. Instead of mimicking a typical king, Jesus worked from the bottom up. Rather than demanding service, he served. Rather than dominating he invited."
12. The final chapter of this book is a simple recap of the previous sections. In it Kraybill writes about Jesus as a servant and a washer of feet. He writes about Christ living what seems to us as an upside down kingdom. He writes about a Jesus who "-challenged the conventional definitions of religious behavior", and who "upset the bedrock assumptions of the pious". (259)
Critical Assessment
Positive
First and foremost I noticed Donald Kraybill's great and undeniable love for his Bible. The stories he tells are wonderfully told and right from his heart. Second, I could not help but appreciate that Christ was not shown only through the modern rose colored glasses that see him only as meek and mild. Instead He is shown as a figure of great authority and power yelling "Get thee behind me Satan!", and as the man who told the disciples to buy swords at the Last Supper. (36; 56) In addition I found chapter two to be extremely informative. Kraybill's information of the Jubilee was new to me and that is becoming somewhat rare at this point in my studies. (93)
As well I found chapter six to be particularly intriguing. It is a chapter that could launch a hundred sermons and I am sure to use it in the future. Especially I loved the analysis of Zacchaeus and the rich young ruler as it introduces a number of wonderful topics. Most interestingly though are the small tidbits of information that expound upon the details of the biblical texts all throughout this book. They are insightful, sometimes questionable but always interesting. Although these seemingly unimportant details make up the majority of my "positives" list, I also found the point of the book to be right on target. The upside down kingdom of Christ is presented with crystal clarity. The lives that we could be living are staring up at us from the words of Jesus and today's Church should be attempting to turn our systems on end in light of the cross.
Negative
Though surprising to me, I have little to complain about from this book. The "negatives" I have are miniscule and largely stylistic. One problem that I had with the book is the assertion that "Jesus [wasn't] tempted to turn stones into bread merely because he was hungry" and the subsequent remarks in the book that I believe over dramatize and go far beyond what we are told in the Bible. (74) For me the literary liberties that are taken seem to overtake common sense and in some cases distract me from the reading.
Another sore point with me (though it was only but a drop of water in the ocean of this book) is the small section devoted to war. As much as I would love to agree with complete pacifism, I find myself living in a much more difficult world where even God begins His new creation with a war in which we will play a role. In addition I was also bothered by the amount of time devoted to "Agape". In my opinion far too much attention has been misguidedly paid to the distinction of "Agape" love; so much so that I can hardly stand to hear it anymore. With recent insights into this word, I would "Agape" to see "Agape" a lot less emphasized. (200-201) Personally I find most of what is said in this section to be overanalyzed and incorrect. As to the main idea of the book I can find no real fault.
Application to Ministry
Application to Personal Ministry
As far as applicability to my personal ministry, this book is very applicable. It is not just applicable in that I will attempt to change my world (though I agree with the personal effort to do away with cast systems both here and abroad), but it is also applicable as a teaching tool. Honestly I find this book to be a great resource for sermons, illustrations, and small group bible studies. Especially useful in my opinion are the questions following each section. I have no doubt that this book will prove an important resource in my library and I am glad that I bought it.
Rating the Book
Organization
[8] The book has a lot of overlap and many of the chapters could easily have been
combined. For example: 2-4 & 8-11
Clear statement of purpose
[8] There is no one "I wrote this book to..." statement that lays out exactly the function
of the book however, it is stated none the less.
Readability
[10] This book is written at about a 6th grade level. (This is fine - it is the average reading level of people in North America.) It is smooth and each chapter moves easily into the next.
Informative content
[7] It believe it is very informative, however it is hard to distinguish what is professional
liberty and what is exegetical at times.
Usefulness for your understanding and practice of ministry
[7] I agree fully with the topic of a countercultural Christ and Church and yet I always
did; so there is little impact on me as far as persuasion. I believe my understanding
and practice of ministry has always headed in this direction. Even so it proves to be a
good resource.

I think the best aspect of Kraybill's book is that it expands upon the words of Christ. He brings to our attention issues that many American Christians tend to explain away or outright ignore. I appreciated his frankness when addressing the application of many issues today, and appreciate the effort he makes in helping me see how I can change my own lifestyle to better reflect the "upside-down" lifestyle of our Lord.

I will never forget the confused look I received from the audience when I said, "The Kingdom of God is Upside-Down." This revealed to me that many Christians probably have not given a lot of thought to the Kingdom of God. If the Body of Christ fully understood this Kingdom... I don't think she would squinch her eyes at the words "Upside Down." And I certainly don't believe we would be giving in to the temptations Christ rejected!

Kraybill focuses primarily on the temptations of Christ (Matt.4) to reveal the true character of the Kingdom of God. Jesus rejected the temptations in the bread (the economic), the temple leap(the religious), and the kingdoms of the world (the political)... thus accomplishing heaven's task in a way that is foolishness to the world(1 Cor.1:18). If you have had a hard time understanding the Kingdom of God and want to learn how this Kingdom makes no sense to human wisdom... but is the power of God to those being saved... get this book. Wonderful insights into the radical claims of the Kingdom!

I would also like to recommend "The Gospel of the Kingdom" by George E. Ladd

We've Come This Far is an insider's inside look at a pillar of African American Christianity, Abyssinian Baptist Church. Bob Gore's skill as a photographer and his commitment to his faith are evident on each page of this lovingly crafted work. In some cultures in the world, taking a photograph of a person is looked at with trepidation because it is believed to be an attempt to capture the subject's soul. And that's exactly what Mr. Gore has done in this book and there is no need for fear. The pictures and accompanying essays capture real life/real time moments in the broad scope of the life and spirit of this historic church.

I've never been to New York, and I've never been to a black Baptist church. But the spirit of this institution- its leaders and worshippers- absolutely radiate off the pages of this book. It is unbelievably inspiring. It would make an excellent gift for any liberal Christian activist you know, for a pastor or clergy member working hard to integrate the church into the community, or for yourself. The text is also beautifully formatted, and the history and descriptions are very accessible. The primary focus is always on the black and white photos found on almost every page. Beautiful.

The rich and vibrant history of Abysinnian Church and the Harlem community is revealed in this work by Bob Gore. The photos are of such superior quality that you can feel the message conveyed in the picture without using the text. With the additon of text there is a wonderful account of the Harlem experience, chock full of information about the history and the individual personal expressions of those who were there when it happened. This photographic journal is vibrant and colorful in both word and image. There are real accounts of Abysinnian Baptist Church's history, including it's spiritual, political, social and economic relationships with the communities that it serves. I urge you to consider this book not just for reading but also as an important addition to your library.

I've been to Abyssinian only twice, but was almost overwhelmed each time with the power of commitment and community. Bob Gore's book captures with warmth and intimacy the spirit of this special place and its people. It is the only church I've been to where I felt that power of love which Christianity must have carried through the centuries.

this book will move you. i have viewed many photo books and exhibits and have found many to be interesting and technically proficient. this book easily jumps those hurdles, but more importantly, the images on these pages reach out of their simple wood pulp shelter to touch your heart.

white, black, or blue; gospel lover or country western, you owe it to yourself to spend time with this group of deeply felt images.

buy two copies.

Heidi has compiled a masterpiece. While I have led a very successful career, I often had questions regarding my wealth and how to use it responsibly. This book gives very clear, concise advice on how life should be lived and I will make sure my two sons will read this book before they graduate from school. Thank you Heidi.

I found Heidi's book excellent. All the chapters were informative and gave outstanding advice. Accumulating wealth is half the battle - having wealth help you to live a happy and contented life is the other half. I will definitely be using the advice within the book and will recommend this book to all my friends.

This book contains some interesting articles about wealth management, but it's nothing I haven't read in magazines and newspapers. Also, a lot of the advice in the book is more relevant to high net worth individuals (people who are likely to be Neuberger Berman's clients) than for ordinary Joes like myself. Try to borrow it from the library - this is definitely not a keeper.

Preserve the assets you have and keep them growing in value. Make sure your wealth adds to your happines and fulfillment in life. Don't allow your wealth to overwhelm you emotionally and psychologically. This book will assist you in keeping your money a positive factor in your and your family's lives.

I'm a big reader of business and personal finance books. Wealthy & Wise fills a niche that no other one book I've seen does. It covers a lot but in a way that's not overwhelming. I liked the idea that each section is written by a specialist in that field since no one can be an expert on all these subjects.

A few of the chapter subjects were beyond my means (though voyeuristically I enjoyed reading some of the advice for the super rich), but the overarching message is advice we should all take to heart - Manage your wealth; don't let it manage you. This isn't a book of corny aphorisms, it's full of practical, useful advice to make your money make you happier and let it add to, not get in the way of, your relationships.

I first read this book early in my private pilot training, many years ago. Needless to say, I did not really understand what I was reading. Coming back to it now, with a number of additional ratings and many more hours of flight time to my name, was a revelation. Almost on every page, I found myself saying, "Yes, that's how it is." Buck really knows what he is talking about, whether it be ice, thunderstorms, turbulence, or transitioning from instruments to visual on the approach. Taking to heart what Buck has to say will first and foremost help you to survive as a pilot by making good weather decisions. Just as importantly, he imparts a great deal of wisdom on how to get maximum utility from the airplane while keeping risk to a low level. However, as indicated earlier, the book is definitely not for beginners. A solid understanding of basic meteorology and a considerable amount of piloting experience are needed to interpret it correctly--and safely.

As a CFI I have numerous books in my aviation library. This book details flying in weather and the mindset required to be a safe and competent instrument pilot.

Recommeded to me by my instructor after I received my instrument rating I now recommend it to students and associates whenever the subject of flying in weather (or not flying in weather) comes up.

I read Northstar Over My Shoulder prior to buying this book so I had an understanding of Captain Buck's history and experience which added weight to the wisdom obvious in Weather Flying (buy that book too!)

Not a lesson on meteorology; more of a lesson on judgment and decision-making. In other words, how does one deal with the weather? What does one do with the information one has?
Bob Buck is a man of authority, vast knowledge and experience when it comes to weather flying. His advice is, therefore, not to be taken lightly.
The book is readable, Buck writes "as he talks and flies, with an easy touch...he makes it simple and plain". The only thing that frustrated me at times was the fact that due to the sheer amount of information and knowledge he wants to impart, he occasionally jumps from one issue to the other, picking up new subjects while seemingly leaving others unfinished.

... and will remain so after you read this book. Everything in Buck's book is useful but it is tough to remember all of his rules without a solid grounding in meteorology. The cover's subtitle "a practical book on flying in all kinds of weather" is accurate. This book is about practice, not theory. However, after finishing the book, I was disappointed to find myself as ignorant as ever about weather and completely at the mercy of the FAA briefers.

It is hard to imagine a pilot with more weather flying experience than Captain Robert Buck. And much of this flying was in the old days: in the early years of the Army Air Corp and a young company called TWA. Much of this flying was accomplished without the assistance of modern instrumentation. Captain Buck travelled the world seeking the most ornery weather he could find, and then flew into it time and time again, compiling the experience and collecting the data that no one else had at the time. Captain Buck shares that experience here. This book is interesting and engaging to the flying enthusiast, essential to the VFR pilot, and absolutely priceless to the aspiring instrument pilot. Every discipline and every pastime has its classics, and WEATHER FLYING is, without a doubt, one of the classics of aviation.

The language of WEATHER FLYING is simple and straightforward. The lessons are practical more than theoretical, though Captain Buck keeps his readers briefed on essential weather theory as well. Virtually every weather situation that a pilot can encounter is covered in this book, from the ordinary to the exotic. Then Captain Buck instructs you how to fly it. The concept is simple and direct; the lessons are comprehensive and pragmatic.

In short, this is not a book to read once and then shelve. The lessons are too important to be forgotten. This is a manual to be taken down and read over and over again by any sort of pilot who flies any sort of aircraft.

Jeremy W. Forstadt

Of all the business books I've read, and I have read a great deal more than most for my job, this is simply one of the best. It is well researched, yet also well written. Its lively, yet detailed, historical analysis brings out the lessons of business that are usually lost to time. This book has more intelligent things to say about the true sources of business success than ten of the best sellers combined, and is just as fun to read as any of them.

Gerard J. Tellis and Peter N. Golder methodically and empirically demonstrate that pioneers are rarely rewarded for their efforts at the end of the day. The confusion between pioneers and current market leaders lies in the exclusion of failures (survival bias), tendency for managers to refer to their own firm as the pioneer (social desirability or self-reports bias), and self-serving market definitions (self-serving bias). For example, the Gillette Company is the oldest surviving firm in the disposable razor market. However, the Gillette Company was not the firm that first commercialized the razor. Similarly, Intel was not the firm that first brought the microprocessor or CPU to the market, even it has been perceived as the pioneer in that industry.

Tellis and Golder brilliantly build on over a decade of in-depth research to show that vision, persistence, relentless innovation, financial commitment, and asset leverage are the real factors that drive the superior performance of enduring leaders like the Gillette Company and Intel.

1. In their examination of "Vision", Tellis and Golder take their distance from the traditional definition of that much abused business term. Often, vision is indeed synonymous with broad mission statements used to excite and inspire stakeholders of an organization. In Counter-intuitive Marketing, Kevin J. Clancy and Peter C. Krieg concurred that most companies do not have much of a vision (See especially pg. 74 - 86). Vision has two key components according to Tellis and Golder: 1. A focus on the often-decried mass market with its dynamic and evolving needs and 2. A unique perspective of serving that mass market. For example, in contrast to its top competitors, AOL has stressed from the beginning convenience, ease to use, community, and ubiquity. Similarly, McDonald's has stressed from the onset quality, service, cleanliness, and value to build a worldwide network of mainly franchisees for bringing fast food to the masses. In Product Strategy for High Technology Companies, Michael E. McGrath gives a good complement to Tellis and Golder's definition of vision by explaining it as an answer to three key questions: 1.Where does a firm want to go? 2. How will the firm get there? And most critical 3. Why will the firm be successful? (See especially pg. 12, 306, and 317).

2. In their analysis of "Persistence", Tellis and Golder debunk the myth that enduring market leaders usually achieve their success through luck or sudden breakthroughs. In fact, visionaries have the will to persist in their efforts through seemingly insurmountable obstacles, slow progress, and long time efforts. The origin, early struggles, and ultimate success of Federal Express showed how important the vision and persistence of Fred Smith, its founder, made the difference at the end of the day. Similarly, the ultimate success of xerography after 13 years of research was due to the unwavering faith of former Xerox (Haloid)'s CEO, Joseph Watson in the underlying technology.

3. In their approach to "Relentless Innovation", Tellis and Golder remind their audience about the importance of firms not resting on their laurels. Technology and consumer tastes constantly change. Tellis and Golder rightly identify complacency with past successes, bureaucracy, managerial occupation with current customers and competitors, and fear of cannibalizing existing products as the four enemies of the relentless pursuit of innovation. For example, the earlier history of the Gillette Company clearly indicated that its success led to complacency and arrogance detrimental to its market leadership several times. Quoting Andy Grove, one of the founders of Intel, "Only the paranoid survives." In Product Strategy for High Technology Companies, Michael E. McGrath gives a good complement to Tellis and Golder's examination of both time-based and cannibalization strategies (See especially pg. 219 - 234 and 257 - 271).

4. In their study of "Financial Commitment", Tellis and Golder demonstrate that visionaries show persistence in their ability and willingness to raise and commit financial resources whatever the obstacles in their way. For example, Federal Express was on the brink of bankruptcy for years before it finally took off. Similarly, King C. Gillette, one of the co-founders of the Gillette Company, struggled not only to launch the eponymous company but also to raise the capital necessary to commercialize his disposable razor for years.

5. In their dissection of "Asset Leverage", Tellis and Golder look at how generalized and specialized assets can be mobilized for dominating a product category. Tellis and Golder rightly identify the extent to which the new product category does or appears to threaten the old product category, a strict focus on costs, myopic view of markets, and bureaucracy as the four major hindrances to leveraging assets. Xerox squandered more than one opportunity to leverage its assets to adopt and commercialize the revolutionary discoveries of its Palo Alto Research Center for years. In contrast, Microsoft showed sacrificing several products in development as the way to catch up with the competition after it had initially misjudged the potential of the Internet revolution.

Tellis and Golder also remind their audience that the relative importance of the five factors mentioned above varies by firm and market characteristics: new firms, established firms competing in established markets, and established firms entering new, yet unrelated markets (See pg. 265 and 266).

To summarize, Will and Vision by Gerard J. Tellis and Peter N. Golder is like The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen a major contribution to a better understanding of how markets really work.

In Will and Vision, the authors refute the theory that first-movers have an overwhelming advantage, and replace it with the idea that seven factors, that can be summarized as will and vision (hence the title of the book) are instead the factors that permit companies to dominate markets.

First, the author performed an in depth empirical study that included 43 different industries at different times in order to show that the original entrants in many markets were not in fact the current leaders. Instead, the authors offer the following seven factors as the main ones in determining whether firms became leaders in their markets:

* Envisioning the Mass Market - Examples include P&G with Pampers disposable diapers for everyone instead of for travelers only and Kodak with photographs for the non-professional.
* Uniqueness of Vision - Examples include Tim Berners-Lee and the development of the WorldWideWeb and King Gillette's view of the razor market.
* Persisting Against All Odds - Examples include Bill Gates' persistence that landed him the operating system contract with IBM and Haloid's persistence over a decade that created Xerox.
* The Need for Relentless Innovation - Examples include Moore and Noyce leaving Fairchild Semiconductor to found Intel and the relentless pace of innovation there, and Gillette's close brush for lack of innovation in the 1960s and its ensuing fast pace since.
* Organizing for Innovation - Examples include HP's organization beating Xerox and IBM at the laser printer market, and Netscape beating Mosaic by taking talent and rewarding it.
* Raising and Committing Financial Resources - Examples include Fred Smith's almost bankruptcy to keep FedEx alive and Amazon sacrificing profits for a long period in order to achieve its envisioned mass market level of service.
* Leveraging Assets Despite Uncertainty - Examples include IBM losing the PC battle because it did not want to hurt its mainframe sales, and Charles Schwab's leadership in web trading after it chose to focus on it and sacrifice off line higher margins.

Overall, I found it a very good entertaining book, with anecdotes that help support the ideas the authors suggest. I strongly recommend it.

This book comes out with a hypothesis challenging conventional thinking which assumes that pioneers dominate markets. Collecting and analyzing historical data from over 66 industry segments the conclusions by the authors is baffling. This is not a case where statistics is used conveniently to support untested theories using available tools to prove a point. The approach to understanding market dominance and the role of pioneers and followers is path breaking. Contrary to common belief, data shows that in many cases the pioneers have as little as 9 % market share. The ingredients for success are therefore not being there first, but doing the right things.

Five factors that emerge as key to ensuring long term success and market dominance are Vision, Persistence, Financial Commitment, Innovation and Asset leverage- factors that are structurally related in a causal chain starting with a clear vision for a mass market. There are innumerable examples and detailed cases where the inability to see a mass market for innovative products has resulted in late comers grabbing the market from incumbents. Fear of cannibalization of existing products, bureaucracy, complacency, are some other causes that stifle growth.

After explaining the hypothesis, a good and crisp summary of the conclusions from the historical data, every chapter proceeds sequentially to substantiate the findings. This is a rare combination of business history, statistical analysis and strategy. It is this unique combination and the unconventional wisdom that is bound to make this book a classic in its own right. The range of products covered varies from diapers to couriers and computers. IBM, Microsoft, Fed Ex, Xerox, Gillette are some companies that are discussed in detail.

Comparing it with other books on similar research, my prescription for business would be:

Innovators Dilemma + Will and Vision + Built to Last + Good to Great = Road to Market dominance.

Highly recommended.

Few business principles engender as much faith among people as the principle of the pioneer's advantage. For example, Ries and Trout, in their book on the 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, boldly state the "first immutable law of marketing" to be "It's better to be first, than it is to be better." Brand recognition, brand loyalty, consumer inertia, network effects, experience effects, access to distribution channels - these are all reasons for why the first movers in a market could have an advantage over others in the quest for market domination. Consultants, academics, and managers note the many examples of pioneers who appear to have done very well in their markets. Look, they say, at Gillette (in safety razors), Hewlett-Packard (laser printers), Microsoft (PC operating systems), and Amazon.com (online bookselling). All of these cases appear to prove the pioneer's advantage.

Tellis and Golder argue quite convincingly that these examples prove exactly the opposite: pioneers are much more likely to be cursed to failure than blessed with long term success! The authors show that the real pioneers in the markets listed above are not the current market leaders. Gillette entered the safety razor market in 1903, but a company called Star, they find, had already introduced a safety razor in 1876. H-P entered the laser printer market in 1984, but IBM had one on the market in 1975. Microsoft introduced MS-DOS in 1981, but Digital Research had introduced its CP/M operating system back in 1975. Amazon.com entered the online bookselling business in 1995, but Clbooks.com/books.com was selling books online in 1993. Most of these pioneers are forgotten now - many are long dead. Yet the myth of the pioneer's advantage lives on.

Using new and detailed historical research, Tellis and Golder systematically debunk the myth of the pioneer's advantage. The book refutes much conventional wisdom, and wonderfully weaves together hard data and vivid business stories to argue its thesis. Tellis and Golder are two of the world's leading experts on market entry and long term success. Their prior research has had a major impact on the academic business community. Yet if current and recent business practice is any indicator, few managers seem to be aware of the lessons that emerge from this remarkable stream of research. One only needs to think back at the Internet gold-rush to see this point.

The bulk of the book is on the question: If pioneering does not explain market dominance, then what does? Again, Tellis and Golder bring fresh, unorthodox insights to this question. They organize the answer to this question along two dimensions: Vision and Will. Their arguments force one to rethink several common precepts. For example, they challenge the very notion "vision" as it's currently understood. Similarly, they point out that dominance is often seen as a function of luck, or being at the right place at the right time. In fact dominance is more a function of small, incremental innovations in design, manufacturing, and marketing over many years. Indeed, it took Procter and Gamble (a latecomer) 10 years of persistent planning and research to find success in the lowly disposable diaper market.

Overall, the book is provocative and compelling, meticulously researched and highly practical. The case studies alone are worth the price of the book. But the novelty and persuasiveness of the insights make it one of the finest works on business strategy.

I grew up a Met fan in the 70's but his career in NY was a bit vague to me. I knew him better down the pike in Philly while unfortunately having to root against him. I learned so much about him while turning every page and he made me laugh and later brought me close to tears. The book was splended and showed many of his peaks and valleys, reminded me and informed me of his baseball career. Its often said that "this (one) is unique," but Tug truly was one-of-a-kind and apparently a joy to many. The adversity he experienced was wide-spread and unfortunately it may've trickled down to his children, specifically the now renown, Tim McGraw. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone, especially those that knew him during his sports career; the final 100 pages were riveting as you get a front row seat at his final months riding a bad roller-coaster.

First off I will admit to no small amount of prejucice when it comes to this book. I have been a Phillies fan since the 1970's and was a huge fan of Tug Mc Graw's growing up. In saying this perhaps this book had a deeper effect on me than the average person as I was aware of a lot of the events that Tug relates in this narrative of his life. What I was not aware of was his incredible courage while he was fighting this illness and the amazing warmth and generosity of his son, C&W star Tim Mc Graw. I feel you have to have grown up as part of Tug's generation to understand his motivations and behaviors. I am not saying that excuses the mistakes he made but it did help me to understand the WHY of what he did. In addition it made me appreciate all the more the courage it took him to admit those mistakes and the effort he put forth trying to correct them. This is an extremely moving and emotional tale with tremendous highs and lows and should effect everyone who reads it. Also this is an incredibly honest insight into the psyche of professional athletes in the 70's and 80's. Highly recommended for its' passion and honesty.

Tug McGraw has had a shameful life story that not many people have known about. He had done some very bad things like neglecting his son, country singer Tim McGraw, because he refused to believe that he was his son. When he was dying he forgave everybody and was nice to all of his relatives, and admitted to all of the wrong things he did. He really showed that he was sorry for everything and he would have changed a lot if he could.

I was truly impressed by how he handled everything when he was dying. He is definitely an amazing man, in more than one way.

He had many family-related problems that he got through. He was a little crazy too, but a motivational speaker really got him to the World Series by telling him, "Ya Gotta Believe!"

Tug McGraw was a bonafide original. From his thigh slap to his screwball to his love of a good time, Tug did things his way. But as he says during the book, sometimes his way was the selfish way. The most compelling part of the book for me was him discussing his relationship with his son Tim. From refusing to acknowledge his fatherhood to completely ignoring him (other than one visit in Houston) to finally coming around and taking responsibilty for himself and his son.

That's a main theme in this book, taking responsibility. Unlike his ex-teammate Pete Rose who seemingly blamed everyone under the sun for his problems other than himself, Tug steps up and admits his mistakes. He says that he was not a good husband or father. He was determined not to make the same mistakes with his youngest son Matthew. His children all rallied around him as he battled brain cancer.

Sadly this story doesn't have a happy ending as Tug passes away in January of 2004, a month before this book was released. The final chapter of this book is very touching as Don Yaeger describes Tug's final days. This book shows that it's never too late to say you're sorry and it's never too late to make things right. An excellent book, highly recommended.

Wow! I'm not a baseball fan, or a Tug McGraw fan for that matter, but I read this book in a day. I love, love, love Tug's son Tim McGraw and it was amazing to read how Tug treated his children, Tim especially and they way Tim loved Tug so unconditionally-even paying for his medical bills, rent, furnishing a home for his father and spending hours on end just holding Tug's hand in Tug's final days. It makes me an even bigger fan of Tims. Tug's own childhood/family life was heartbreaking to read about, as well. The baseball parts were interesting, but not very exciting for me, as I am not a big fan of the sport, but baseball fans will definitely enjoy this book.
There are some great pictures in the book also.