Performance Books


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Performance Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Performance
Drama in the Desert: The Sights and Sounds of Burning Man
Published in Hardcover by Raised Barn Press (2002-12-01)
Author:
List price: $45.00
New price: $45.00
Used price: $20.97

Average review score:

Festival in the Desert
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-03
Good DVD about what takes place in Burning Man. If you have never been there (which I have not) but plane to go. This DVD lets you know what you are in for.

Full-color visuals and personal memories
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2002-11-08
Based on the images of Holly Kreuter, Drama In The Desert: The Sights And Sounds Of Burning Man is a book and DVD set collecting full-color visuals and personal memories drawn from the harsh desert of Black Rock City, Nevada. Capturing the sometimes quizzical, sometimes cruel, sometimes dramatic art and documentary efforts of seventy contributors, Drama In The Desert is strongly recommended as an eclectic, unique, and vibrant experience impressing its fiery artistic message upon the reader's spirit.

Awesome
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-02
Kreuter's photography really captures the diversity, creativity and 'out of the box' off the wall craziness of Burning Man. The CD is first class too.

Awesome DVD, beautiful book!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-07
This book will take you back to Burning Man but it's the DVD that I want to rave about. Watch it over and over. Beautifully done. A wonderful effort. Thanks to Holly and thanks to Bam Bam!

Fantastic!
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-10
My husband and I starting our Burning Man experience in 1997 and have gone every year since. We've had 4 different theme camps alone or in collaboration with friends. We will have to miss the 2005 burn, as we will be relocating, so we bought books and DVD's to remember the fun times until we can come home again. Holly's book is wonderful and the DVD is sooo much better than anything else out there. It really just blew me away! We popped it into the DVD player one morning and were mesmerized and drawn in by the music, the images, the clouds and the incredible artistry of the whole production-it brings back the feeling of being there. I appreciate that she separated the interviews from the flow of images in the main movie.

A must have for anyone interested in Burning Man!

Performance
Drum Circle Spirit: Facilitating Human Potential through Rhythm (Performance in World Music Series)
Published in Paperback by White Cliffs Media (1998-06)
Author: Arthur Hull
List price: $29.95
New price: $18.78
Used price: $13.49

Average review score:

The definitive book on circles!!
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-10
Arthur Hull hits the nail on the head with his book, Drum Circle Spirit. Without this book to use as a guide, I would feel lost!... I call it simply "REQUIRED READING" for those who care about their community and friends who wish to drum in a group setting. It empowers most anyone to begin and conduct their own drum circle. THANK YOU ARTHUR!

The bottom line
Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-25
This book is the bottom line, the base of the pyramid. All others I have read-and I have very many-rest on it. It explains the why, the where and the how of different types of drum circles and how, when one is called upon to do so, to facilitate them so that they live and create music on their own. While there are many facilitator "tricks" and techniques, the message is always that the circle is not to serve as a platform for a facilitator performance, but that the facilitator's job is only to get the music the circle is making past places where it starts to self destruct and back into solid playing. There is a great deal of anecdotal information about how specific difficult situations were handled as well as examples of wonderful, joyful exhuberance. If you are new to drum circles, and especially if you need or want to facilitate them, this is the FIRST book you buy.

I was really amazed by this book.
Helpful Votes: 13 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-22
As a Christian wanting to start a church-oriented drum-circle, I was somewhat concerned that this book would be full of propaganda that would run counter to my Christian values. (Making it annoying to read at the least, and at worst, difficult to convince other Christians in my church of its value.) While some of the author's values come through (especially with references to "tithing to Rhythm Church" and the like) there's nothing in here to really offend any particular religious belief. There's no "we can heal the world with drums, just think good thoughts and good things will happen to you" message here. It's practical advice on how to bring out the best in a group of drummers.

Arthur's numerous anecdotes are entertaining and informative. They really conveyed the spirit of what Arthur does with his drum-circles.

I'm very anxious to get started applying what I've learned (and will continue to learn) from this book, and it has convinced me to attend one of Arthur Hull's Facilitator Playshops. Arthur's teaching in the book is very clear, presented in small, easily-digested steps, and most of all, very encouraging. The whole book shouts, "You can do this, it isn't that hard!"

I've very pleased that Arthur has taken the time to share his hard-earned wisdom with the rest of us. If you're wanting to start a drum-circle, work with kids through rhythm, or any such activity, you can't afford not to own this book.

Drum Circle Spirit
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-07
This book and CD set has wonderful examples of drum circle games and exercises. He and his facilitators also share their drum stories and let us know how fun it can be to be an "Arthurian" facilitator! Get a bunch of friends together and PRACTICE these games!(It REALLY comes to life after attending one of Arthur's facilitator playshops!!!)

What we need
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-07
This guy is a modern Trickster! At first you wonder, is this guy a joke? Then as you read more, you realize, yes he is, thank god! But be aware; this is a book about building community; if you want a book about drumming, look to Mickey Hart.

Performance
Getting Results: Five Absolutes for High Performance
Published in Hardcover by Jossey-Bass (2001-06-01)
Authors: Clinton O. Longenecker and Jack L. Simonetti
List price: $29.95
New price: $8.00
Used price: $6.90

Average review score:

Eye opening and grounded in research
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-11
In Getting Results, all logical arguments are backed by solid research studies. What is more impressive, in most cases the raw numbers are included, allowing the reader to analyze the data themselves. The author recognizes the need to substantiate all of his claims with measurable facts. The book also includes real world examples of how each of the 5 steps to getting results works in practice. This book is a solid foundation from which any manager should be able to develop a business strategy that will truly make their business get results! What is better, the book could easily be completed in a week; arming you with the tools you need to combat poor performance in a timely manor.

excellent book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-14
Getting Results: Five Absolutes for High Performance is a must read for every manager. It is an excellent book and it gets every mamager ahead of the game. I got real understanding of performance monitoring amongst many other issues. Thanks

Top down management is still "Getting Results"
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-11
This is a wonderful book. I would recommend it highly to anyone interested in reading how most of the successful companies are getting the job done. The survey and follow-up interviews from thousands of companies are well documented. It is easy to read and easy to ferret out solutions to specific problems that you may be experiencing in your business. What was striking to this reader was the general lack of the use of self-directed work teams in the businesses that were surveyed, and the continued reliance on the use of individual performance reviews and appraisals to motivate and direct employees. Successful businesses today are still following the basic rules of top down management that have been in place for many years. One must draw their own conclusion about whether this is the BEST way to do business. It certainly appears to be THE most popular and maybe the easy way to do business.

Thoughtful and Practical
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-05
This is one of the volumes which comprise the University of Michigan Business School Management Series. According to Longenecker and Simonetti, there are "five absolutes for high performance" and they examine each with both precision and eloquence. Few (if any) are original. The most effective managers probably practice them (and others) to achieve superior results. Whichever "absolutes" are embraced, they are obviously worthless without effective implementation in combination with both a determination and an ability to adjust to circumstances which can change quickly at any time. Here are the five absolutes:

#1 Get Everyone on the Same Page: Focus on the Purpose of Your Organization

#2 Prepare for Battle: Equip Your Operation with Tools, Talent, and Technology

#3 Stoke the Fire of Performance: Create a Climate for Results

#4 Build the Bridge on the Road to Results: Nurture Relationships with People

#5 Keep the Piano in Tune: Practice Continuous Renewal

No doubt each reader can easily rephrase each of the five or at least cluster several synonyms which suggest each absolute's key point. For example, #1 suggests the importance of agreement (or consensus) on which teamwork always depends whereas #5 suggests the importance of constant attention to the progress of any initiatives so that appropriate modifications can be made. The Japanese word "kaizen" means more than continuous renewal; those involved in such efforts must always be aware of maintaining proper balance (or proportion), especially when responding to a crisis of some kind.

For whom will this book be most valuable? The authors wrote it for "managers at all levels who are looking for ways to improve the performance not only of themselves but also of the people they are directly responsible for." I presume to suggest that this book would also be valuable to recent graduates who have only recently begun a business career. Every organization (including non-profits and family-owned businesses) needs to have an easily understood system (as well as sound strategies) by which to achieve the desired results. Longenecker and Simonetti provide such a system in this book. It remains for decision-makers, especially, "at all levels" to modify the system to their organization's specific needs and objectives. In the Afterword, Longenecker and Simonetti suggest how to "get the ball rolling" toward getting results: Always start with the end in mind, build a model of the absolutes to your organization to be effective as a leader, identify the practices that are most critical to your success, and develop the talents needed to implement and sustain the absolutes for high-performance. Heard all this before? Probably. Are you satisfied with the results you and your organization are now achieving? If not, here is a source to help clarify and assist your initiatives in weeks and months to come. Longenecker and Simonetti conclude their book and I conclude this review with an especially appropriate observation by Henry David Thoreau: "This time, like all time, is a great time, if we simply know what to do with it."

Solid research for the serious manager
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-06
Business is about getting results. And "Getting results" gets down to business in a very direct fashion, using research and the authors' work with senior executives to construct basic guidelines for enabling and empowering managers and organizations. The survey results on the top twenty things a leader needs to do to be effective is probably worth the cost of the book. Some of the ideas and data went straight into my classroom. This might even work for many business faculty as a text for a basic graduate course in management or leadership.

The book lacked a little bit of the 'Tom Peters verve' that wins over large numbers of readers and gets books recognized by business magazines. But serious, thoughtful students of the science (and art) of business will not be disappointed.

Performance
How to Build Max Performance Chevy Small Blocks on a Budget (S-a Design)
Published in Paperback by S-A Design (1999-08-13)
Author: David Vizard
List price: $19.95
New price: $9.95
Used price: $12.00

Average review score:

Excelent Read!!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-31
I Purchased this book 1 year ago and learned more from it in that time than from 5 years of bench racing with buddies. It not only shows the levels of performance and economy attainable by the venerable Chevy V8, but the theories this book teaches can be applied to most other forms of automotive engine building. So much information in such a small book, that is written with such eloquence that even the most amateur of amateuers can grasp, and fully comprehend it's writings. David Vizard, the author, is an accomplished engineer with a background in the aerospace industry, and is also a seasoned automobile racer. This book is a true summary of several of his other books, which go much farther into detail than this one does. From basic cylinder head porting, to rotating assembly prep and carbuerator tuning, this book covers so many bases that it is a must have in any garage.

Chevy engine nuts and bolts
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-07
Bought this book for my 17 year old son. He loves it. A must have for anyone seriously interested in Chevy engines and car restoration.

Good Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-13
A very helpful guide with easy to read text and super pictures.
Thank You
Jeff Lacy

Just what the title says!
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-27
Vizard delivers exactly what the title is all about. He helps you balance power & longevity against the pocketbook. He also substantiates his claims with his own companies dyno or flow data. Rebuilds range from a minimum of $600@300hp to a maximum of $3000@550hp. Add some nitrous (he talks about this too) and you have a 800hp engine for under $3500 bucks! Be warned, he is blunt and opinionated but backs up his claims.

incredible author
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2002-05-15
david vizard is the best performance auther i have ever read. he only relies on things he has personally proven, and he shows you how he has proven it. he doesn't seem to be as oppinionated as other authors. i would recommend reading any of his books

Performance
Investment Performance Measurement (Frank J. Fabozzi Series)
Published in Hardcover by Wiley (2003-02-04)
Author: Bruce J. Feibel
List price: $95.00
New price: $63.80
Used price: $44.95

Average review score:

Excellent Book as Read or Reference
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-08
This book is an excellent review of performance measurement. It covers all of the areas and hits each with logical progression. Somewhat suprisingly, it holds up well as a straight through read as well as a reference.

Though I gave it five stars, I would have liked to see more on GIPS presentations. It does offer two chapters on the subject, but there is more that could have been included. That said, it is a great overview on GIPS in general.

A primary reference
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-30
This is one of the few books I have ever read twice. One reason is that, as a financial decision evaluation modeling consultant, I have found Investment Performance Measurement to be one of the few books on the topic repeatedly mentioned at financial firms, software providers and performance conferences. It is definitely a great foundation upon which to build an understanding of the field and I appreciated a number of its insights. I was also very impressed by the rarity of critical errors regarding the introduction it provides to technical matters.

Shelf worthy but not authoritative
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-11
This book provides the novice a moderate reference to world of investment performance reporting, ala performance reporting 101.

As an IT management consult I can comfortably say there is no one authoritative reference on anything. That said, this text while historically and technically accurate does not represent nor provide meaningful examples of contemporary best practices.

Also, absent from the text are key discussions I would have benefited: the opportunities availed to a modern organization for large-scale automated computations - rather than all manual processes; linkages to the consumers of the performance information in various communities from client wealth tiers, brokerage operations, and financial advisers, analysts and money managers; and best practices for some of the new product and security types more prevalent in the 2006 era.

Great reference book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-03
I'm taking the Investments course within the Certified Financial Planner program. This book really helped clarify many of the terms and formulas we had to learn. The Mayo text covers the material, but from a more academic slant. I just wish I had bought the Feibel book well before the class started. It may not be technical enough for graduate students in Finance or people who normally read scholarly papers on investment theory. But for everyone else, like individual investors or people going back to school learning investing fundmentals, it's a great reference.

Basic to Advanced
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-10
This book is very well thought out and takes it step by step from basic to advanced.

The really good thing about it is that it shows you how it looks in Excel which means it helps with how it would be entered into a computer.

Performance
Laurie Anderson
Published in Hardcover by Thames & Hudson (2000-09)
Author: Roselee Goldberg
List price:
New price: $40.86
Used price: $40.86

Average review score:

Must have
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-04-21
No LA fan could be without this book. The bio part is excellent and gives another dimensions to the artist we love, the photos are great (Laurie with long hair!) and it has lyrics for hard-to-find songs.
I would have been a little bit more happy (and given 8 stars) if EVERY lyric, poem or shopping list Laurie wrote was here, but, well, I am asking too much.
Spend your money here, you won-t be dissapointed.

good job Roselee and Laurie
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-03-12
If it says Laurie Anderson on it I'll probably buy it. This is just another example of the great work they both work towards and accomplish.. If i may digress, the first time I heard Laurie was at a party before Big Science was released. Rick Wakeman (YES) was the guest DJ at the radio station..Talk about a brick wall ! the party came to a complete standstill during O Superman. I swear nobody said a word except for wow! As far as this book goes..yeah get it before it gets hard to find..United States is hard to find now, and its a great companion to United States Live (the CD)

Highly recommended reading for all Laurie Anderson fans.
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2000-06-04
Blend a social history with a fine survey of complete panoramas and you have an elegant, sophisticated presentation. Roselee Goldberg's Laurie Anderson covers the works of the multi-media performance artist/pop star, moving beyond her rock image to establish her skills in art and performance pieces alike.

Monograph template
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-18
Wow. This sumptuously illustrated monograph has redefined the manner in which monographs will probably be executed in the twenty-first century. How fitting that RoseLee Goldberg, who penned and organized the equally breath-taking "Performance: Live Art Since 1960," has joined forces with maverick Laurie Anderson.

Ms. Goldberg not only unravelled the complexity of Laurie Anderson's works, but did so without jargonizing. She, instead, chose wisely to tell Laurie's story through pictures with extended captions. She was spare with her words--something few art historians can claim to do.

On that note, I better stop writing, myself....

Don't ask why!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-26
I can't say exactly why I like this book. It's difficult for me to determine if my passion for L.A. overides my ability to be objective about it. The info has been mostly done before in other books, but none have been any better laid out nor more complete.

This book's major value to me is the validation of why L.A. -- and especially her live performances -- continues to intrigue and challenge me after all this time. Few artists in any medium have matured so completely yet unpredictably. This book catalogues her sustained growth while never falling into the biography trap of idoltry.

Unfortunately, since L.A. tours so infrequently it's difficult to study her creativity at close range. We're forced to make broad artistic assumptions about L.A. on very limited exposure.

Since what I want is more L.A., this book helps keep the flames buring inside my soul.

Performance
Marketing in the Public Sector: A Roadmap for Improved Performance
Published in Kindle Edition by Wharton School Publishing (2007-03-22)
Authors: Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee
List price: $27.99
New price: $19.59

Average review score:

Excellent book on public sector marketing
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-04
This book presents you with a step by step marketing plan template and clearly defines and explains what is the concept and the importance of each step in the plan. This is a great book for anyone in the public sector who has no marketing experience or background and is a great review for someone who does.

Excellent For PA's and PPA Programs
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-04
"Marketing in the Public Sector" by Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee provides ideas and advice on proven techniques for those in the public sector that reach and benefit the common good of the public.

There are three parts and 13 chapters. There are very specific and detailed sub-chapters within the main chapters, and they are listed in the table of contents.

1. Improving Public Sector Performance by Seizing Opportunities....
2. Understanding the Marketing Mindset
3. Developing and Enhancing Popular Programs and Services
4. Setting Motivating Prices, Incentives, and Disincentives
5. Optimizing Distribution Channels
6. Creating and Maintaining Desired Brand Identity
7. Communicating Effectively with Key Public
8. Improving Customer Service and Satisfaction
9. Influencing Positive Public Behaviors: Social Marketing
10 Forming Strategic Partnerships
11 Gathering Citizen Data, Input, and Feedback
12 Monitoring and Evaluating Performance
13 Developing a Compelling Marketing Plan

There are numerous real-life examples presented as case studies, basically.

One example in implementing information messages to the public is the Ad Council. The Ad Council is a private, nonprofit organization that taps volunteers from the communication and advertising industries to deliver governmental agency messages to the American public (p. 232). Not only must these messages be crafted well, but they do need to reach the targeted audience. There also has to be response. Response that can be statistically verified. The message is distinguished and emphasized so the target market audience knows about the campaign, believes they will experience the benefits promised, and thus are inspired to act upon it, or stop deleterious acts (p. 161). Like the private corporate media with its experience and sophistication, the government media is organized, tested, and methodical.

For the most part the term "methodical" is used in a good way. If there is a public message to be conveyed, it needs to be disseminated in the most optimum way. Many public messages are positive and conducive for the collective good of our communities. One example from many are the mascots such as Smokey the Bear for fire awareness, Mr. Yuck for poison labels, McGruff the Crime Dog, and Eddy Eagle for Gun Safety. These ad campaigns of course, are specifically targeted for children, yet also influence and remind parents to educate their kids on such potentially dangerous matters.

One doesn't need to be in the public sector to benefit from the information, case studies, and strategies in this book. The ideas can be used by many. There are dozens of pictures of ad samples and tables, and the index is comprehensive. Very good. Excellent for public administrators and students of Public Policy and Administration (PPA programs).

Advice for governments and nonprofit groups about how to spread the word about their programs.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-25
Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee encourage governments to learn from private sector marketing principles and techniques. It's a great idea, and they make a persuasive case that "social marketing" can change society, or at least certain aspects of it. The book is full of practical tips. Using examples from social marketing campaigns around the world, Kotler and Lee demonstrate how to apply basic marketing ideas in the public sector. Creative approaches have injected new life into many social programs, ranging from environmental awareness to customer service. We recommend this book to public officials and leaders of nonprofit organizations who are looking for new ways to educate their constituents.

Required reading for governmental agencies
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-20
The target audience for this particular book is government agencies. Inside you will find tools to get citizens involved with and supporting your agency, using your products and services, and how to influence public behaviors. The authors also include specific roadmaps to creating brand identity, gathering citizen input, and evaluating the results of your efforts. One of the better sections includes a how-to model for building an organization that is both high-tech and high-touch.

The book focuses on all levels of government agencies from the public servant trying to allocate scarce resources to governmental units trying to create social consensus to get things done. Loaded with lots of examples, Marketing in the Public Sector is required reading for governmental agencies.

How Governments Sell Themselves to their Citizens
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-12
At first glance you might think that this is a book on selling to the government. It isn't. This book is basically a primer, or a series of anecdotes or case studies where a governmental agency is attempting to sell their products or services to the public.

While we don't think of the government doing marketing, visit any Post Office and look at the ads plastered all over the place for everything from mailing supplies, to passports, to stamp collecting (where you buy a stamp from them and then don't use it for mailing - a lot of profit in that).

In addition to these actual products, there are a lot of stories about how the government wanted to influence behavior on the part of the citizens from litter campaigns (Don't Mess With Texas) to reducing drunk driving.

The intended audiance for this book seems to be organizations within the government who now need to communicate what they do, how well they do it, and influence behavior among the population. And that's the world population, not just the US.

Performance
One Helluva Ride: How NASCAR Swept the Nation
Published in Hardcover by Villard (2008-02-12)
Author: Liz Clarke
List price: $25.00
New price: $12.50
Used price: $12.49

Average review score:

One Helluva Pleasure
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-21
I'm delighted with the book and had a great "ride" reading it. I recommend it to anyone who is a newbie to NASCAR (like I am) or has enjoyed it's growth.

One Helluva Ride
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-20
I saw the book report of this book by the author, Liz Clarke, on BOOK TV a few weeks ago and throughly enjoyed it. I am a NASCAR fan of lots of years so naturally I wanted the book. I am so glad I got it for it is one of the best reads I have ever experienced. I would recommend it to anyone, NASCAR lover or not. I have shared the book with some fellow NASCAR followers and each of them has had the same opinion, GREAT READ!

NASCAR
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-10
It's a great book. The best thing is buying online thru Amazon. Delivered right to your home, plus save a few bucks also.

Fast-paced and fun
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-27
With equal parts sports history, business strategy and social commentary, Clarke tracks the rise of NASCAR by focusing on the personalities that made (and continue to make) the sport grow.

If you're looking for a book that recaps significant races or focuses on racing strategy, this isn't it. However, if you want to walk away with the feeling that you've spent an afternoon on Richard Petty's front porch chatting over a few Cheerwines, then you'll thoroughly enjoy this book. Clarke has clearly invested much of herself in NASCAR and the sport has repaid the debt with the gift of its personalities which Clarke presents here as very few could do.

While Clarke clearly loves the sport, she does not sugarcoat some of NASCAR's historic flaws such as the reluctance to quickly address safety issues. In the end, this fast-paced account will leave you with some great insight and knowledge that will serve you as well in Hueytown, Alabama as it will on Madison Avenue.

A winning story, well told
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-27
Take a good look at Liz Clarke's new book, One Helluva Ride: How NASCAR Swept the Nation. You don't have to know auto racing to relate to NASCAR's populist, dirt-track roots, its self-made heroes and multibillion-dollar marketing revolution. If you're already a fan, you'll find fresh insights and up-close portraits of the sport's most compelling personalities. If you're on the fence, climb over: Follow the money, meet the stars, get inside the rivalries and tragedies that pull them together and push them apart.

Clarke knows sports on the world stage. She has covered the NFL, the World Cup, Wimbledon and the Olympics from Sydney to Salt Lake to Athens and the Italian Alps. In 15 years of writing for the Charlotte Observer, the Dallas Morning News, USA Today and, now, the Washington Post, she has also become an authority on NASCAR, a truly American sports phenomenon.

If you can't get past comparing strawberries and cream at Wimbledon's Centre Court to chicken bones at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, you're missing a great story. Clarke's colleague Michael Wilbon, the Post columnist and co-host of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption, says it well: "You can't pretend to have a full-scale discussion of sports anymore without understanding NASCAR."

Clarke is an especially observant guide. As a reporter, she didn't choose to write about NASCAR; she knew almost nothing about racing when she was sent to cover her first speedway practice in Charlotte in 1991. As she got to know the drivers, she found them more accessible and interesting than many of the arrogant athletes in pro sports. It was clear that the drivers' personalities, not their 3,400-pound cars, were the sport's real drawing cards.

NASCAR has outgrown clichés about stock car racing and its tens of millions of die-hard fans. Madison Avenue's embrace is hastening change. The small Southern tracks that launched the sport are closing, with new speedways popping up in southern California, Las Vegas, Chicago and Kansas City. International drivers, including Colombia's Juan Pablo Montoya and Scotland's Dario Franchitti, are pulling into NASCAR garages.

In One Helluva Ride, Clarke charts NASCAR's rise with energy and expertise. The book profits tremendously from the trust and respect she earned from such racing icons as Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt. The big picture is clear, but details set the book apart. Readers learn the secret of Petty's elaborate autograph, start a day at Earnhardt's farm with a Sundrop soda and a sausage biscuit, watch his fatal crash from the press box at Daytona in 2001.

[...]

Performance
Performance Addiction: The Dangerous New Syndrome and How to Stop It from Ruining Your Life
Published in Kindle Edition by Wiley (2004-07-14)
Author: Arthur, Ed.D., Ph.D. Ciaramicoli
List price: $24.95
New price: $9.99

Average review score:

A Model Under Pressure
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-06
I have been working as a model for 6 years. My life is extremely pressured, I am always trying to perfect my work, my body and my children seem to never accomplish the way I would. When I saw Dr. Ciaramicoli on Good Morning America, I could not believe the story told by one of his clients. She could be my sister. I got the book last night and read it through till 2am. This book is my savior, a guide to change relentless demands I place on myself and those close to me. I never realized why I have such difficulty parenting and loving. The Chapters on Image Love and Performance Addiction and Parenting make so much sense. I wish I had read this book earlier but hopefully it is not too late for me to change the course of my life. I know I drive people close to me crazy, now at least a have a map to help me to relate better and work with less intensity.

Hope and insight for many who are driven to perform
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-07
Dr Ciaramicoli speaks with clarity and compassion and makes the 'syndrome' very understandable. Using the subjects in his practice as examples, I could easily identify with aspects of their driven nature. He makes a strong statement about why we feel compelled to maintain this compulsive lifestyle. Still, it was written not to sound like some dreaded character flaw but a general trend in our society that is creeping into the fabric of our cultural belief system. He offers us hope and insight into how we can better slow down and enjoy our lives and ourselves.

Life with Balance
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-06
For a long time now I have been looking for a way to balance my life. With the constant demands I place on myself to have more, be more and to be perfct I thought I would burst. I have felt this way pretty much all my life, but have never been able to pinpoint the reason. I saw Dr. Ciaramicoli on Good Morning America and everything became clear. I ordered the book and really felt it put my life in perspective. I sincerely thank Dr. Ciaramicoli for helping me to finally live my life with balance.

An interesting book about a poorly understood subject
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-12-09
Thias book speaks to people who rely on achievements to make them feel good and explains why they experience anxiety. It comes down to a poor sense of "self." I have read a lot of this information in other books, but I believe the author makes his points clearly and adds value on this topic.

Extremely Worthwhile and Helpful Book
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-31
This book is very helpful, and many chapters are exceptional, particularly Image Love and Relationships, Exceptional Mediocrity, Meaning and Joy, and Balancing Work and Life. The way each chapter is introduced, the use of specific human examples, the questions provided to enable the reader to explore the depth of his or her own problem, and the suggestions offered for conquering performance addiction are superb. The realistic tools provided at the end of the book to enable the reader to assess progress in conquering this addiction are most useful.

Performance
Pro Oracle Database 10<i>g</i> RAC on Linux: Installation, Administration, and Performance (Expert's Voice in Oracle)
Published in Paperback by Apress (2006-08-04)
Authors: Julian Dyke and Steve Shaw
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The Magnum Opus on Oracle RAC
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-09
This book can easily be used as a college textbook on Oracle RAC. I am studying for the Oracle Certified Master exam and this is possibly the most high level book on Oracle I have read.

It has 3 major strengths which I found to be superior to any Oracle RAC books I have read (including the manual from Oracle).

1)Technical Depth
2)Comprehensive Overview and instructions
3)Quality of writing


1)Technical Depth
The authors write about Linux and Oracle and are high level experts in the subjects. For example, the authors have a very detailed description of how Oracle Cache Fusion handles locking across all the nodes in a RAC environment (probably the crown jewel of RAC technology). They also discuss, in detail, different types of CPU, memory, and storage and contains detailed description of each architecture. Lastly, it contains vastly number of "how to" install, configure, change, analyze, backup/restore, and utilize Oracle RAC and Linux.

2)Comprehensive Coverage and Instructions
No small amount of detail has been skipped. The book contains every utility (there are many) provided by Oracle to implement RAC. It provides a good step-by-step coverage of Linux and Oracle RAC installation as well what each step is adding to the RAC environment. To top it off, it adds how to performance tune, administer, troubleshoot, backup/restore, and use Dataguard in a RAC environment. I can't think of a subject on RAC which the authors did not cover.

3)Quality of Writing
I was pleasantly surprised how well written this book is. Although far from a Pulitzer Prize material, it certainly belongs in that category amongst the Oracle books. Every praragraph has been well organized and written. The proofreader of this book deserves major praise for their work.

It's all in the details
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-06
Many books around Oracle's advanced topics simply parrot the manuals. Julian avoids that. Instead, he describes Real Application Cluster technology from the ground concepts up to full implementation, with practical notes and tips. He gets into topics that the manuals never touch, and much of what he writes can be useful in any RAC environment, not just Linux.

I whole-heartedly recommend this book and own both the paper and eBook version which I often reference.

Great choice
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-10
This book delivers what it promises. It contains a great balance of technical detail,examples and theory. It encompasses all aspects of implementing/maintaing 10g RAC on Linux.

Comprehensive, detailed, well organized and easy to understand
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-05
Very well written. No mater you are a Pro or a newbie, it will be helpful. A very well written book.


Highly recommended.

Excellent command level RAC material.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-18
This is a very hands on command line oriented book. Good understanding of RAC concepts. I found it extremly useful in my day-to-day work.

Highly recommended.

Thanks!


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