Conferences Books

What a disgrace to the country's finest football conference. Ernsberger may as well be cheeseburger...Calling Kevin Faulk "Marshall" doesn't give this book much credibility. Besides, it reads like a TN alum wrote it. If you're into the SEC like I am try "A Tailgater's Guide To SEC Football". It's a good read on the entire SEC. Again, Ernsbeger should be drawn and quartered for this sacrilege. Go Gamecocks!

I cannot believe the typos and errors in this waste of time book. The writer apparently can`t distinguish Ole Miss from Mississippi State and I still wonder how he flew in and out of "Hartsville Airport". Hartsville, SC is a rather small town in Eastern SC and during my last trip through I failed to notice an International Airport.I have been attending SEC football games since the 50`s and find the lack of research that went into this nonwork very offensive. Readers would do better to spend their time reading "Southern Fried Football".

If you're already a fan of SEC football, most of what you read will not come as particularly insightful; although it is interesting to read passages regarding Alabama's recruitment of Albert Means, which may have played a part in the NCAA's investigation. There are some factual discrepancies here and there, but if you're looking for an introduction to SEC football, this is a great place to start...for those of you that are already big fans, there may not be much here for you.

To the guy in Bradenton: Before you start ranting about the author's lack of geographic knowledge, you might want to do some fact finding of your own. Hartsfield (not Hartsville) is the name of Atlanta's (international) airport.

Ernsberger might as well have written about women's volleyball in the SEC since he's got at the very least 10 factual errors that I uncovered. Calling Kevin Faulk "Marshall" Faulk twice and Nick Saban "Lou" is unforgivable and that is why he gets a big NEGATIVE from me. I am a big Bama supporter as well and I found his commentary regarding the Capstone to be orange-biased.
Maybe Mr. Ernsberger should be wearing convict orange on the cover? Don't bother folks. Save the $ for tickets.

The author, and many others, will argue that the SEC is *the* conference for college football. It is a conference of strong rivalries and tough attitude. It's also, as Ernsberger looks at, a conference of athletes who happen to be students, rather than the collegiate student-athlete. He brings up the warts - problems with recruiting, low graduation rates, questionable ethics with athletic departments overseeing athlete tutoring. But these are more of a bookend to the story - a story of rivalry, of politics, of winning above everything else. This is where the heart of the book is, and where Ernsberger comes across as the privelaged observer, rather than someone with an axe to grind. He's not in awe of everything, but he's not out to rip back the veneer of college football either.

Arguably, the book does have it's leanings. Only about half the conference is really explored with many of the schools getting the short shrift and barely a mention. But if you have never been to a big SEC rivalry game, he tries to capture the mood both inside and outside the stadium. You see the lead up to the Auburn-Alabama game (though strangely, he never seems to refer to it by it's common moniker of the Iron Bowl), and the Cocktail Party (Georgia vs. Florida). One of the strengths of the book is that he spends time with all level of participants in this spectacle - the players themselves, the caching staff, the boosters, the administration, the fans and the alumni. The picture drawn shows that everyone is partially to blame for the state the conference is in.

As a passive spectator of the SEC especially after moving to Atlanta, Ernsberger drew together a lot of what swirls around into a coherent package. Everything you need to know? No. A damning expose? No. An interesting overview - yes. This is why you want to read the book.

Racism has been an impediment in living up to our ideals as a democracy. It will continue to be a sensitive and volatile issue here in America unless we make an effort to eliminate it. The authors have done a formidable job in reframing the problem in a way to help us trancend it, come together and work toward a solution to what W.E.B. DuBois called the problem of the 20th century. It's a difficult book but well worth the effort!

Because it's the best book about race relations in America since Ellison's masterpiece of fifty years ago. By "race relations" I mean blacks and whites, as Ellison would have meant the words. But The Miner's Canary is about much more, it's about all-minority-cultures and whites in America. And in direct opposition to the color-blind solution the Supreme Court has decided the Constitution requires, the book's authors esteem and celebrate and find strength, including political strength, in our separate cultural identities -- including the separate (non-oppressive) cultural identities of whites.

When I put The Miner's Canary down, I wished I had read the Acknowledgments first, then the chapter "by" Torres. This is a difficult book, it has many authors, and the voice I identify as Ms. Guinier's seems sometimes to address junior high school students and other times to address law professors. So the book has many levels of analysis, and it treats its central topic -- political race -- from many angles. These are not shortcomings, but they add up to a very demanding book.

The book's real-life examples, however, are all wonderful and all one -- compelling and utterly elucidating. And the long illustration of how Greek democracy in action would look if it followed American districting and apportionment rules is simply surpassing wonderful.

Then there's the book's immediacy. The Nobel Prize winning econometrician Robert Fogel has emphasized the roles of technology and religious activism in America's movements for social justice, relegating progressivism to the status of an adjunct to the latter. The Miner's Canary, on the other hand, puts the struggle for social justice squarely within the politics of progressivism. This is not necessarily inconsistent with Fogel (whatever one thinks of the validity of his argument), assuming Fogel's subject is movements in the past before about 1980 when the Big Sleep set in -- which it is -- and assuming The Miner's Canary is describing developments since about 1980, which it is. The book says something new has been happening, and it started being more than unrelated occurrences about twenty five years ago. This new thing Guinier and Torres call political race.

The ambition, originality and insights of this book far outweigh its difficulties due to multiple voices and an "un-ironed out" presentation. I give it five stars.

A bold call for bringing people together and transforming society. If you are class conscious and anti-racist read this book, it will be worth the challenge.

I know that professors from Harvard and UT are smart, but do they really feel the need to express this in their writing? The entire first chapter of this book is nothing but fluff, using nearly incomprehensible $5 words. The authors do not get their point across in a clear and concise manner and the rest of the book suffers because of this. Do not buy this book.

Guiner and Torres write pedantically with little organization or cohesion. Although the anecdotes were interesting, the authors' arguments reek of indolent emotionalism rather than theory and sound policy.

I realize this is a critical review. I try to be fair to all viewpoints, but this vacuous work warrants these harsh words. Gerald Torres was a visiting professor at Harvard, where his indifferent attitude to his own class and examination live on in infamy. He is not proficient at conveying information.

In short, while Torres and Guiner intended to write a mentally stimulating book, this work is instead mind numbing. Spend your money on another book. For alternate reading on race theory, try "Unequal Treatment: A Study in the Neoclassical Theory of Discrimination" by Lundahl and Wadensjo.

Since I work with a wide variety of ages, upper elementary through adult, I found this book to be a valuable resource. A lot of the activities are geared more toward the adult side, but I have very successfully adapted several of the activities to the younger aduience. The section at the beginning of the book with the How-To's for facilitators presents some excellent advice. The activities are categorized very nicely, and the lay-out of the activities themselves is very similar to an educator's lesson plan, which I also think is a big plus.

Although there is a lot of information packed into this book, I was very unimpressed with the layout and visual design. It looks like it was typed up in 1970. The graphics are ancient and the layout is just one big binder with no cross-referencing or indexing available. To find a useful game, you have to sift through hundreds of pages. It really is a shame, as there are some clever games here to loosen up an audience.
Frankly for this price, I expected something a bit flashier and filled with reproducibles that I would want to copy and hand out. The way it looks now, and with it's unwieldy format, it's going to sit on my shelf.
If I hadn't spilled water on it, I would have sent it back for a refund.

This is a great tool of Trainers. Keeping your trainees engaged throughout the training is always a challenge. This tool give creative ways to assess retention of information. The games are great and the administrative forms and suggestions are wonderful.

The best thing about The Complete Games Trainers Play is its sheer size. Actually, it isn't nearly as big as some reviews imply. It is really around 1000 pages, not 2000+. And for some reason, a significant percentage of those pages are left blank. But even with that caveat, this is still a sizable resource.

If you are willing to devote 30+ minutes to finding an activity, you are sure to find one (or five) that are ideal for your training event. The fact that individual "games" can be removed from the ring binder is also helpful. This allows you to use the activities without carrying the whole book around, and to easily photocopy sheets for individual participants as some activities require.

However, there are some significant downsides. There is no real way to find appropriate activities without flipping through virtually the entire book. A large number of the activities aren't very good. And, most of the book is in a strange "typewriter" typeface that makes it look like it came from 1972. (Oddly, there are some pages which are randomly sprinkled through the book that use a different, more recent-looking typeface.)

To really upgrade its usefulness, Games . . . would benefit from taking a leap into the computer age. In other words, along with the printed book, a computer CD should be included. This could feature a good, searchable index, which is now lacking. It would also make it possible to print out games, and modify handouts on the computer to your organization's needs.

I've never bought any other resources like this, so I can't say if this is better or worse than others. I can say that in spite of the steep price and the drawbacks, I'm definitely glad I purchased it. It was very useful to me, and will be again in the future. However, there are a few simple steps the authors and publishers could take to greatly improve it.

People love playing games a lot more than listening to lectures; this is indisputable. I didn't like all of the games listed here, but so what. Several I found helpful and intend to use.

A stated in some of these other reviews, you will not get anything from this book that you could not easily access online. I was hoping for some information like a quick reference to icons on WebEx, how to set up and save polls, etc. Nothing like this there. You could write this book after spending about 2 hours reviewing online materials.

My company signed on to webex. I figured I should know a little more just in case people need help.

Overall it's a decent book. It will give you a back ground on the product and it will walk you through the steps of setting up a meeting. It explains the tools such as white boards that are available.

The book even breaks the meetings into types such as training, sales and and product marketing.

There is one chapter for administrating it which I am not sure it was needed as the admin stuff is rather small.

One thing I thought was odd was a chapter on the top 10 question for tech support and then there was a FAQ. Seemed like a duplication of information.

Overall its a good book but I am not sure it's needed especially as a reference. Webex has many online resources and even offer training that covers much of the information presented.

This book could answer questions about webex, especially if you are considering it.

I purchased this book because I was scheduled to do online training through WebEx. This book was absolutely no help at all. It essentially gave a brief exposure to the WebEx system and interface and then filled the rest of the pages with a bunch of nothing.

This is typical of every "for Dummies" book I have seen. My recommendation for anyone planning on using WebEx as a trainer or a student: Don't waste your time or money on this book. You'll do far better downloading WebEx' online training resources.

The only reason I bought this book was that it is the only book on WebEx I could find. I just wish someone had warned me not to waste my money as I am warning you.

Webex is a fantastic tool, to be sure. But this book is a waste of time. The online learning tools at webex.com are a lot better that this book. It reads more like an ad for the product that a useful reference guide. The product is so easy to use that this book is really unnecessary.

Now, if you REALLY are a dummy, this book might be helpful to you in some ways (so I gave it 2 stars). But I'd recommend you use the online tutorials at Webex, or join one of their online live meetings.

This book was great. I'm new to WebEx, in fact new to web conferencing. I was a little intimidated at first, but got through my first few web conferences without any problems. (The Webex interface is really simple and intuitive.) What this book did was empower me with the knowledge of how to run really effective meetings online. Yes, it covers the basics well, but the real value was in learning all the additional capabilities Webex has available. For example, I learned about the integrated audio conferencing controls, the simple integration with outlook and some awesome video conferencing capabilities. As with all the Dummies book, its a quick read (gotta love the big font size and pictures).

I recommend this book to anyone who has purchsed Webex or is is close to a web conferencing purchase.

This guide is written by dozens of volunteers who actually hike the sections of trail they report on each year. This is the only AT guide that has first-hand knowledge of the trail every year. If you want second-hand, outdated, and fictional information you should use Wingfoot's book. The Companion lists all the services along the AT, not just the ones that have paid a fee to be listed. Get the Companion, it's the complete guide!

The Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker's Companion appears each year in late winter, just in time for it to be used by those planning extended trips on the Trail. It is a joint effort of two fine hiking organizations, The Appalachian Trail Conference, and The Appalachian Long-Distance Hiker's Ass'n.

Updated, improved, expanded, and fact-checked each year, the Companion contains vital information for those planning to spend serious ammounts of time on the A.T., and is incredibly useful for those contemplating, or actually preparing, a thru-hike of the entire Trail.

In a concise, easy to use format, the Companion covers the Trail from Georgia to Maine, containing information on Trail features, highlights, campsites, shelters, water sources, points of interest, and natural and local history. In addition, the Companion contains detailed information on Trail facilities and services, including road crossings and access points; location of stores and re-supply opportunities; lodging places catering to hikers; restaurants; outfitters; medical clinics; banks; ATM locations; etc. Do you want to know where to get camping fuel along the Trail? How about an inexpensive motel or an all-you-can-eat restaurant? Need to know where to get your gear fixed or replaced? Internet access possibilities? How about where you can receive mail from home? Information such as this, and much more, can be found in the Companion, as well as updated maps of principal Trail Towns. All of this makes the Companion incredibly useful for those planning their trips, and wondering about where to stop, where to camp; where to re-supply or take a break; the book also comes in incredibly handy DURING your trip, as it tells you what lies ahead on the next stretch of Trail.

Another great advantage of the Companion is that it is put together annually by a dedicated group of long-distance hikers who all have extensive, recent experience of the sections they're discussing; most of the book's editors have hiked the Trail in its entirety in recent years, which gives them great authority in discussing conditons on the Trail, and how it has changed over the years. The information contained here-in has been gathered and checked by contemporary hikers who are superbly qualified to share their experience with others.

I am presently planning my seventh traverse of the entire AT. Both before I leave, and after my journey has started, I would not consider hiking without this book; the Companion improves each year, and in appearing improved, and appearing on time each year, it has clearly established itself as THE book to have if you're planning any serious ammount of time on the A.T.

This is the best guide for A.T. hikers period.

I am thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail right now (today I'm resting in town and using a computer at a church). I started with this book and found that it did not work well for me on the AT. It has lots of stuff that just isn't needed by a thru-hiker which makes it sooooooo heavy and it is hard to follow. I switched to wingfoot's handbook, which is more condensed and to the point. I got criticized by some people who were using this one, but it's one of the best things I have done to make my thru-hike successful so far. I threw my companion away and haven't regretted it. Get a handbook!

The Companion has a lot of information, but most of it is designed for people who are interested in things that are in towns or off the Appalachian Trail, not for thru-hikers. It is harder to follow than the other guides, and is sometimes confusing in that it rates places based on only a few people's feedback it seems. If you are planning to do a thru-hike and want to do mostly hiking and not touring towns, then I would use The Thru-hiker Handbook by Wingfoot. It is easier to follow and doesn't try to tell you everything, just what you need as a thru-hiker. I traded my Companion for Wingfoot's book and never regretted it.

Lindsey Gordon isn't a detective, but she is one of these characters who is constantly getting embroiled in murder investigations. This is the fourth such experience for the British lesbian and former journalist who has been transplanted to the US where she now teaches Journalism.

When Lindsey returns to the UK to complete research for her dissertation, she finds herself not only involved in UK trade union politics, but also a murder suspect. Intent on clearing her name and ensuring that she can return to the States, Lindsey and her girlfriend dive head first into solving one, or maybe two, murders.

This is a great whodunnit with well developed and likeable characters and a plot that keeps you guessing right up until the very end.

A final comment I'll add is that while the book is about trade unions, there was remarkably little politics and what was included actually served the story -- unlike some novels that seem to be more politics than plot.

If you've ever enjoyed any lesbian mystery novel in the past, you're likely to enjoy this one.

Lindsay Gordon is a former journalist who returns to the United Kingdom to attend a trade union conference that will provide material for her doctoral dissertation. She is not a stranger to these meetings since she used to work as a trade delegate ten years ago. Nothing has changed in a decade. There is hypocrisy, prejudice, sexual harassment and debauchery among the attendants. Somebody is also writing a newsletter that is making accusations on the members of the conference.

To make matters worse Tom Jack, a union boss, dies when he falls out of Lindsay's tenth floor hotel room. The police are quick to suspect on Lindsay due to her animosity towards Jack as well as it being her hotel room. In order to clear her name she decides to investigate the death with the help of her lover, Sophie Hartley. What they discovered is an ugly blackmail and embezzling scheme involving several people at the trade union.

I liked reading this novel with its satire and quick wit. The plotting is well done and the story ends well. I am aware that this is not the first Lindsay Gordon novel but I will try to read the others. I am enjoying Ms. McDermid's novels and characters.

Lindsay Gordon is a former journalist who returns to the United Kingdom to attend a trade union conference that will provide material for her doctoral dissertation. She is not a stranger to these meetings since she used to work as a trade delegate ten years ago. Nothing has changed in a decade. There is hypocrisy, prejudice, sexual harassment and debauchery among the attendants. Somebody is also writing a newsletter that is making accusations on the members of the conference.

To make matters worse Tom Jack, a union boss, dies when he falls out of Lindsay's tenth floor hotel room. The police are quick to suspect on Lindsay due to her animosity towards Jack as well as it being her hotel room. In order to clear her name she decides to investigate the death with the help of her lover, Sophie Hartley. What they discovered is an ugly blackmail and embezzling scheme involving several people at the trade union.

I liked reading this novel with its satire and quick wit. The plotting is well done and the story ends well. I am aware that this is not the first Lindsay Gordon novel but I will try to read the others. I am enjoying Ms. McDermid's novels and characters.

I didn't like this book...and I worship Val McDermid's writing!

I could understand virtually none of the union babble that took up a great deal of the book. I felt like I was reading one of those papers you are assigned in school that you read to say you read, but very little of it actually sinks in.

I was able to follow both the beginning and ending parts of the novel (both of which I liked), and I did not guess who was behind the murder. However, this just wasn't Val's strongest novel, and as much as I'm a supporter of her work, I have to say, unless you're a journalist yoursels, skip over this book.

I enjoyed this book because of the atmosphere, and also because you don't expect the end, which should always be the case in a good crime story.

It's a nice change to read good lesbian crime story that's taking place outside the US

`Under the Duvet' is a collection of journalism by Marian Keyes, some of it published previously in papers such as Irish Tatler, other pieces which are making their debut. The subjects Marian writes about cover everything that young, middle-aged women want to read about: career, relationships, weight, etc in a light-humoured way. Each `piece' is completely unrelated to the rest which means you can start reading anywhere in the book, although I found myself going from start to end just to be methodical.

I was not really sure what to expect when I first opened the pages of `Under the Duvet' but luckily the author had the foresight to include a brief introduction to explain the approach she had taken. I found the style of writing easy to read and quickly got through half the book in one evening. The articles seemed a bit abrupt and while I appreciate that they were originally intended as newspaper articles, perhaps the writer could have modified them slightly so that the reader was left feeling more satisfied.

The autobiographical way of writing made it feel like I was reading someone's diary and even though the writer is Irish (I'm not) and older, I was able to relate easily to her troubles and thoughts. There were a number of hilarious articles which were highly original, however I felt that others were merely written from a general expectation of women in this day and age. In these stereotypical sections I got a sense of deja vue and realised that I had read something very similar in another book or even seen it played out on shows such as `Sex and the City'.
A light-hearted, brainless piece of writing that will keep you momentarily entertained. Having said that I do not think I would pay to buy this book a second time round.

I had never read a Marian Keyes book before......Under the Duvet was a gift with magazine purchase. She is hilarious! This book is a collection of short stories and anecdotes that every woman can relate to - it will have you laughing out loud. You won't be able to put it down. I am off to order more of her books - I am hooked!

This is a collection of Marian Keyes's journalism and a few previously unpublished non-fiction pieces. Just as funny and self-deprecating as her novels, it offers a personal glimpse into the life of one of Ireland's most-loved authors. You can't help but come away with the impression that it would be lovely to have a girlfriend like her.

In spite of the humorous and imaginative spoof above by A reader from Ann Arbor, MI, I found this to be an enlightening set of essays about the man and his work, including reflections by Mahan's son. Of particular interest were the articles relating to the role of Mahan's work at the turn of the century, the evolution of strategic thought post-Mahan, and chapters concerning Latin American, German and Japanese reaction to Mahan's theories. Mahan's theories are thought to be responsible for the build-up of the German Navy which, because of the determination of the English Navy to be supreme, led directly to a naval arms race and the outbreak of World War I. This work puts this assertion into context, and raises significant questions about the nature of military protection of commerce, and the relation of commerce (and democracy) to war, that we must still face today.

Deep within this rather dry and sloppily written book is a bombshell of a revelation: that Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914), one of the most important naval strategists and author of the widely influential "The Influence of Sea Power upon History," wasn't always a man. Though Mr. Hattendorf tries mightily to downplay the most salacious parts of his subject's private diary, he is forced to reveal that Mahan led an extravagant double life since his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy. We now know, for example, that Mahan always wore a female corset underneath his garment and dressed up and cavorted as a society hostess in his private home at least once a week. The fact that Mahan was a life-long bachelor may have had a lot to do with his keeping his secret to the grave. Mr. Hattendorf does relate, however, one of the few close calls when President Grant paid a surprise visit to the home of the aspiring naval captain only to be met and entertained by Mahan's spinster sister, Maybelline. Mahan records in his diary that the President imbibed so much sherry that he started making passes and pawing him. It is a pity that Mr. Hattendorf doesn't have an eye for human detail and is ultimately unable to balance high theory and low camp.

The U.S. Navy's official, centenary commemoration marking the pub. of Alfred Mahan's most famous book, which became one of the most influential books of the 19th cent. Papers include: The Influence of History on Mahan; Mahan, Tactics & Principles of Strategy: Mahan: Then & Now; Japan & Mahan; The Influence of A. T. Mahan Upon German Sea Power; 140 Years of German Navies; The Character & Extent of Mahan's Influence in Latin Amer. (LA); Low Intensity Conflict in LA; Reflections of Mahan's Son, Lyle E. Mahan; Christianity & Sea Power: The Religion of Alfred Thayer Mahan; Mahan on the War of 1812; Mahan, World Politics & Naval Rivalries, 1904-1914; Mahan & Amer. Naval Thought Since 1914; & Mahan, Russia, & the Next 100 Years

I'm an atheist.
Unless it is a joke of poor taste, this book is disaster.
I'm not talking about the dozens of similar questions asked over and over, and the repetitive answers.
The author simply doesn't have the scientific and theological knowledge to write about the matter.
And saying god is the time is surrealistic.

In fact, Hutchins makes so much sense as Jeremiah, God's press secretary, I found myself thinking as I read that I like this God. God is funny, thoughtful, realistic, sensible, and completely objective. I had to remind myself this is fiction. A fun, thoughtful read.

If you're a born-again Christian, then you probably won't like this book, but everyone else should get it. It really makes you think and laugh at the same time. A VERY different way of looking at God and The Big Questions. Check out Question 133 about Rrrrumsfeld.

This book provides an excellant source of information for the 'principles of operation' of modern avionics systems. Its the first of such texts that I have seen that takes the mystery out of the 'glass' environment. I highly recommend it for pilots trying to gain a better understanding of what is really going on behind the Cathode Ray Tubes and Flight Management Systems. I know of few other texts that provide such well organized information in such a concise collection of subject chapters.

It is a good avionics reference book I ever read for who are interested in exploring the basic knowledge of avaition communication and aircraft electrical systems.

I was disappointed with this book almost immediately. Having paid $ for this text, I was expecting to see some high quality work. the first thing I noticed was that instead of being a well considered text that takes the reader logically from one topic to the next (as you might expect from a "Handbook"), its really just a collection of scientific papers written by various authors in the aerospace community over time and then bound together by the "author". Second, the graphics are not only not in color, they are often low resolution.

My advice: keep shopping.