Companies Books

Author Vince Thompson presently serves as a consultant helping Internet companies build sales and online marketing solutions. He has spent 15 years as a middle manager and it is his own experiences that were one of the inspirations of Ignited. This book is dedicated to those hearty souls known in the modern world as middle managers. Thompson refers to "The Middle - perhaps the most crucial location in the world of business." He calls the world that middle managers survive in as "quake country", where the environment is always shifting, eroding and being constantly squeezed.

The research for this book included an online survey of over 100 in-depth interviews with middle managers from a variety of organizations including Gateway, ABC, Rawlings, Intel, Bank of America and others. The surveys revealed an underlying disconnect between many middle managers and the corporate goals and vision of the organizations they work for.

Ignited is written to motivate and inspire middle managers to realize that they can make a significant contribution to their organizations, careers and personal lives. Ignited is intended to offer a better solution to managers who struggle to perform well in the complexity of our modern business world. Thompson defines Ignition as "the coming rebirth of purpose and power that managers in The Middle can experience if they choose to make it happen."

This inspirational book is divided into three parts. Within these divisions are 14 chapters. Part 1 is entitled "Get More Power" and it offers some sound pointers for improving the personal perspective and basic thinking of managers. This of course leads to an improvement in behavior and decision-making. Experienced managers will find many of these tools to be common experience, but younger managers will glean much from this part of the book. Part 2 is "Get More Purpose" and is the heart and core of Ignited. This section includes seven keys that emphasize the unique value that managers offer in the middle. Thompson refers to these keys as "Ignition Points" that make changes happen when clearly understood.

Part 3 is entitled "Get More Success" and it is dedicated to help the reader develop a balance between the daily pressures of a management career and making your personal life happy and successful. In this part of the book the author offers a five-step program to restore balance to a stressed out manager. This chapter alone is worth the price of admission!

Ignited is a book that anyone who has ever been in a management position can appreciate and relate to. It is easy to read and offers practical information based on research, common sense and experience. If you are in a middle management position, or have a friend who is, you will find this book a way to ignite your career to another level.

Ignited is a treasure chest overfilled and brimming with insights, tips, techniques, motivations, and inspiration for the people who are the backbone of organizations-- middle managers.

Ignited is an eminently practical book that lends itself to immediate use from word one. I recommend when you sit down to read the book that you have a highlighter pen, a number of bookmarks and some note paper-- this may not be formatted as a workbook, but you'll end up treating it as one and applying its advice as you progress through it.

The author, Vince Thompson, has many years in management and so writes from personal experience as well as education and research. His analyses, explanations, and suggestions all give you a sense of his having "been there" and confidence in his advice.

Thompson gives you a solid grounding in all the essentials of managing both up and down the organization and then shows how to leverage those essentials into formidable skills that ignite your management style, your organization, and your career. The essentials include understanding and applying the principles of networks and networking, team-building, access-gaining, self empowerment and leadership-- all from an uncommon perspective. He helps you learn to become a key (and highly effective) manager by harnessing the power of knowledge of organizational processes (what is done, when, why, how, and by whom) and people in or related to the organization (who does what, knows what, has what connections, has what power, etc.). He tells you why. He tells you exactly how. And, he provides clear and interesting examples and anecdotes to illustrate his points.

His own enthusiasm and excitement, paired with his knowledge-packed narrative, will ignite you.

In a remarkably thorough and informative Introduction, Vince Thompson observes that managers in what he characterizes as "The Middle" are "the connective tissue in their organizations. Only they have the ground-level expertise required for success, the links to people above and below them in the corporate structure, the insights into customer needs, competitive realities, and the organization's strengths and weaknesses." Thompson wrote this book for them but also for those to whom they report because, as he correctly insists, the potential contributions that managers in The Middle can make are too often ignored or under-valued. Thompson's book offers a better solution: "a way for [managers in The Middle] to stay within the corporation and begin making the kind of difference [they] want to make, taking back [their] businesses, careers, and lives in the process."

First, Thompson asks his reader respond to ten questions that comprise "The Ignited Quiz." The purpose of the responses is merely to suggest (rather than measure) to what extent the respondent is an effective and empowered manager in The Middle. In this context, I am reminded of what Ernest Becker suggests in his book, The Denial of Death. No one can avoid physical death but there is another "death" that can be denied: That which occurs when we become wholly preoccupied with fulfilling others' expectations of us, both in our personal lives and in our careers.

Thompson then carefully organizes the material that follows "Base Camp: The Ignited Quiz" within three Parts. First, he offers some basic tools for improving the thinking and behavior of managers in The Middle. Next, he provides seven "Ignition Points" that are keys to the unique value that managers in The Middle can create. Finally, in Part III, he explains how to create a balanced fulfilling life while earning a living. They are not mutually exclusive. The challenge is to understand what really is most important in one's life, then achieve and then sustain an appropriate balance of those values dreams, objectives, needs, interests, and obligations.

Of special interest to me is what Thompson has to say about what he calls "Quake Country," a land of perpetual change. "A place where companies merge, morph, rise, and fall at an ever-accelerating pace - where the only thing certain about the latest management buzz phrases - from `failing fast,' `coopetition,' and cannibalization' to `process commoditization,' `productive friction,' and `social networking' - is that they will be replaced by new ones tomorrow, each change leaving the essential business problems behind." Much of value has been said and written about the difficulties that C-level executives face when struggling to make sense of and then respond to such an environment. Indeed much has been said and written about the extent to which C-level executives (especially CEOs such as Dennis Kozlowski at Tyco, Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Schilling at Enron, John Rigas at Adelphia, and Gary Winnick at Global Crossing) have exacerbated these difficulties. To the best of my knowledge, very little attention has been focused on those who manage in The Middle. Hence the importance of Thompson's book.

Here is a representative selection of Thompson's key points:

"The concept of Management Value Added (MVA) is based on a simple question that you should ask whenever you're making a decision about how to invest your time and energy: `What value does management add?' And how could your actions `add value' to any situation in business? That's right - by helping to meet your bosses' needs. The goal of MVA is to ensure that you are adding the value most important to your boss and company but also that you are always adding value in every situation." For example, managers must understand that if they are going to a meeting, they better be well-prepared to add value to discussions. Perhaps a better example would be a situation, what Bruce Bodaken and Robert Fritz characterize as a "managerial moment of truth," when supervisers have an opportunity to provide constructive criticism to a report-to that will be of substantial value to her or his performance and thus to the overall performance of the given organization.

"People come and people go, but processes - once developed, codified, and set in motion - tend to perpetuate themselves until someone deliberately changes them (which is often easier said than done). The sum of the processes defines what the company does and determines whether or not it is successful."

Citing Steve Mummulo (of US Search) as an example of a "Linkmaker," Thompson sums up the lessons to be learned. "When you're trying to get something done, use the proper channels first. Then, if the official procedures don't work and you find you must make an end run, do it in a politically sound way: Explain your reasons, get your boss's support, and keep people informed. Above all, show results. If you can make your network pay off, you'll be a hero. If you don't, you won't."

Citing Henry Mintzberg's concept of "emergent strategy," Thompson asserts that it is the strategic role of managers in The Middle "not simply to execute the strategy dictated by the top executives of the firm, but to supplement it with creative ideas, initiatives, and inventions of their own, driven by their first-hand knowledge of developments in the competitive arena, their own capabilities, and the openings for profit they perceive."

Given the organizational constraints that limit, often discourage, and sometimes even punish open and honest communication (especially "bad news"), how can those who manage in The Middle help their team members overcome barriers when tough corporate challenges demand clear and frank communication? Thompson suggests these tactics: "Acknowledging the constraints. Establishing an important business context and purpose. Recognizing the crucial role of the team member. Creating a separate space where it's safe to be open. Rigorously avoiding any form of recrimination or retribution for negative or `politically incorrect' statements."

This review is somewhat longer than I originally intended but I consider the issues that Thompson addresses to be so important, and his insights and counsel about managing in The Middle to be so valuable, that I felt obligated to include several quotations from his narrative. If I understand Thompson's ultimate objectives correctly, they include the following:

1. Help those who manage in The Middle to be more effective as "the connective tissue," as "the links to people above and below them in the corporate structure." This will strengthen their organization and, at the same time, expedite their career's development as well as nourish their personal growth.

2. Help those "above" (i.e. in senior management especially CEOs) to understand, appreciate, and then take full advantage of what managers in The Middle offer as "connective tissue" and "links" as well as their insights into customer needs, their awareness of competitive realities, and their understanding of the given organization's strengths and weaknesses.

3. Help those "below" the superviser to whom they report. As Vince Thompson correctly observes, "If you help your boss achieve success with his or her boss (not by going around your boss but collaboratively), you're really onto something. You're focusing on the issues that matter most at the highest levels of the company - the ones that'll get you the most recognition, the most power within the firm, and permission to pursue all your other dreams and goals."

As I finished reading this brilliant book, I was again reminded that organizations and even individual careers resemble vehicles in many different ways. Here's one example that seems especially relevant. Let's say you have just purchased a 2005 "cream puff" Mercedes with a full tank of gas, new tires and a new battery, tight breaks, and it has just been washed. Looks new. And of course, it has been properly inspected, registered, and insured. Then when you insert and turn the key, nothing happens. Nothing. The car isn't going anywhere and neither are you until the ignition problem is solved.

For many people, particularly those who "insert and turn a key" in their organization and/or in their career...and nothing happens, this will be the most valuable business book they have read in years.

Ignited has several good ideas to help a middle manager creatively navigate the corporate minefield. I found several of the ideas worth trying out, and discovered that I was doing a few things right but needed to modify some behaviors. This is a fairly easy read but you need to take time with each section to evaluate your behaviors and style in order to get the most out of it.

Good book. Buy it.

Middle management is one of the toughest positions in corporate America. You're expected to run things successfully, while often not having enough sway and power to implement your plans. A book that aims to remedy that is Ignited: Managers! Light Up Your Company and Career for More Power More Purpose and More Success by Vince Thompson. An excellent book that should be on the shelf of every manager...

Contents:
Introduction - Living in Quake Country; Base Camp - The Ignited Quiz
Part 1 - Get More Power: Action with Traction; The Manager's Universe; Leadership in Limited Space; Managing Your Emotions; The Deadly Lack of Empowerment Trap
Part 2 - Get More Purpose: Ignition Point 1 - The Process; Ignition Point 2 - The People; Ignition Point 3 - The Message; Ignition Point 4 - The Landscape; Ignition Point 5 - The Strategy; Ignition Point 6 - The Story; Ignition Point 7 - The Spirit
Part 3 - Get More Success: Selling From The Fulcrum; Your Own Sense of Balance
Index

The reason why people put themselves into "the middle" is to make a difference in the lives of their coworkers and the company in general. But it's not an easy road. Ignited starts with a quick quiz that will give you a general idea as to how your attitude plays out in relation to your job. Then the three parts of the book help you find your path to a more effective role in the company. Part 1 talks about general principles of management that might sound like common sense, but that often get lost in the midst of the battles. I really was struck by the effectiveness of the "universe mapping" exercise. It shows you who you are linked to in terms of your success. Following that up with an attempt at mapping your boss's universe can then give you the insight as to what you need to do to make them successful (and yourself in the process). Part 2 then gives you the tools you need to effectively run the areas that are uniquely yours as a manager... your people, your message, and so forth. The final part of the book then sums up the newfound power and opportunities you have as an ignited manager, and gives you the roadmap on how that new position and knowledge can be leveraged for your success and balance in life. By the time you've worked through the book and focused on the changes outlined, you should be infinitely more involved and effective in your position.

Rather than read yet another book on how a CEO leads, focus instead on reading something targeted to your specific situation and circumstances. This is that book.

I have used Jane Brody's book so much that the pages were yellow and torn. I was glad Amazon could supply me with a crisp, clean copy.
I put the old one in our high-rise book exchange area. It was gone the next day.

I have a 20-year-old softbound copy of this cookbook that is in tatters, so I am very happy finally to find a fresh copy. I have made many of the recipes in this book and my family has a couple of all-time favorites, especially the pork with green beans and the vegetarian lasagne. While the basic recipes are wonderful, I frequently find them to be bland. My cookbook is filled with margin notes about what herbs and spices I have tried over the years to enhance the recipes. Nonetheless, this is a treasured part of my cookbook library.

The first part of the book is lots of info about nutrition and so on, very interesting and informative (like talking about how potatoes have gotten a bum rap, there really healthy, she mentions one guy who lived healthily for 300 days on nothing but potatoes (and a little margarin). The second part is a few hundred recipes, which are great - easy, delicious, pretty fast, a lot of them with ingredients we keep around the house. Some of our favorites - the chili recipes, the spaghetti pancakes, multigrain pancakes (good with soy flour and blueberries), etc. This (along with books from Moosewood, Tara Duggan, and the Quick Vegetarian Pleasures book) is one of primary cookbooks; we use it all the time. Highly recommended.

Putting "high carbohydrate" in the title is a no-no these days with the lo-carb craze that's going on, but I'm here to tell everyone that this is a great cookbook full of healthy recipes. Brody focuses on recipes that are often low-calorie and almost always include lots of veggies and other complex carbs, and she has many delicious desserts that aren't overloaded on fat and sugar. True weight management comes with exercise and watching overall calorie intake, while ensuring a majority of those calories are healthy ones. This cookbook is perfect for anyone who's interested in increasing his/her repertoire of delicious, healthy recipes.

I bought this cookbook back around 1992 and the tattered paperback is the most used cookbook in my kitchen.

I live with a vegetarian, so most of what I've cooked has been the meatless recipes, and without exception, they have all been wonderful! Some of these recipes are also my potluck dinner staples (esp the Tri-Color Chickpea Salad). The Quick Lasanga with Bean Sauce has been the hit of every party I've taken it to, and the Lentil soup is to die for.

At one point, I went through a heavy-duty baking phase, and tried many of the muffin and quick bread recipes in this book. Again, there wasn't a dud in the bunch - everything I baked was excellent and won praise from all who partook.

Most of the recipes in this book are very good "as is" (they don't need much futzing with). There is some prep work involved (lots of chopping of veggies and the like), so many of the recipes do take some time. Almost half of the book consists of information about food, nutrition, cooking hints and techniques, which I've found to be very useful. Personally, if you have to have one main cookbook, I'd say that this should be it!

We found this little wandering good feeling in a library in 1967. The whole family loved it, from the adults all the way down to 4 year old me. The Brute Family's daily feeding of Stick and Stone Stew and Sand and Gravel Porridge became part of our family's vernacular. It still makes me giggle to say the phrases. I was absolutely delighted to find the book again - time had erased the book title and author, but I decided to google "sand and gravel" and voila! I caught that lost happy feeling and ordered my books on line! Enjoy!!!

This book is so simple and sweet. It's pure poetry. I love Russell Hoban, and this is definitely a must if you enjoy the Frances books. Baby Brute finds a "litte wandering lost good feeling" in a field of daisies and she puts it in her tiny pocket. How wonderful.

The Little Brute family lives a miserable existence...even has to eat sand and gravel porridge...but something wonderful happens and the family
undergoes a magical transformation...this book is so well written it will be a family favorite for years to come..Every mother can relate to Mama Brute who stays home to "bang the pots, thump the furniture, and scold the baby."

This book was one of my absolute favorites as a child so I just purchased it for my children who also love it. I'm hoping that it will be one of their favorites when they are adults remembering fond memories of reading books with Mom and Dad. A great message about manners and attitude! You have to love Russell Hoban's books.

Every child wonders why certain peers are mean. This book paints the story of those unhappy families, with unhappy children, and offers the grand hope they may change! Among the Brute family, parents and children suffer a self-perpetuating attitude malignancy until a solitary "good feeling" enters the picture. When everyone gives "being nice" a try things change quickly and permanently for the better.

I WISH this book was required reading in EVERY school in America. The book shows that each and every child can be a catalyst for kindness. Fathers and Mothers aren't happy when they aren't providing for their children. Children aren't happy when their parents are miserable. Its a vicious circle. And, happy kids in every school will recognize the Brute families they encounter. However, the Hobans' message to TRY BEING NICE as a platform for uplifting and contagious change works for the Brutes, who stage a quick turn-around! One's living conditions are as much about one's attitude as about conditions.

I bet the Brutes (I mean the Nices) even planted a flower or two next to their doorstep ... together!

I've edited many, many cookbooks and this is one of the best! Fabulous recipes that are easy to follow and most importantly, healthy! A must have for every cookbook collector.

I love "Mr. Abe's Goody Book." I bought copies for my family last Christmas and they are all using his recipes. Mr. Sylvester has created recipes that are easy to follow. I wanted to change my eating habits and become healthier. I found this cook book helpful in changing my diet. I don't give up flavor and I don't feel like I'm depriving myself from eating what I enjoy! So far, every recipe that I have tried has turn out wonderful. Mr. Kenny Sylvester is the best chef in Mobile!!!

Incredible, that says it all. I am from the Gulf Coast and know what the great southern seafood taste like... and I did not think anyone could make a healthy dish from some of my favorite foods. Then I tried Kenny's recipes and WOW! I was astonished. Dishes like his Shrimp Creole was even better... some of the best I have ever had... No loss of taste here! And Healthy! Thanks Kenny!

I purchased my copy of Mr. Abe's Goody Book at Bebo's in Mobile, Alabama. It was bought as a gift for my sister, and she loves it. Having to pay more attention to her health, she now can easily prepare healthy meals that taste great thanks to this book. These few words of mine would be incomplete unless I gave some insight about Mr. Sylvester. Kenneth is and has always been my very best and dearest friend, and I am sure there are many others who would say the same of him. Kenneth introduced me to different cuisines as we would frequent various restaurants about Mobile during the 70's. We would eat as much as we could of whatever we wanted. I noticed a change in Kenneth in the 80's when I would visit him from Texas. Now when we would have dinner he would make comments about my menu selections of red meat and French fries, then he would proceed to lecture me about the detriments of an unhealthy diet containing excess cholesterol and fats. I figured that he knew something of what he was saying since he owned a catering business at the time. The point that I want to make is that when you purchase this book, know that in it Kenneth has combined 30 years of experience in excellent cooking with an eye towards a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Johnie Sims
Austin, Texas

Kenny's book is absolutely the best! I have found it to be easy to follow and the food is terrific. This is a must book for anyone who likes to cook.

Great, Great, Great, for the beginner or the novice..Teriffic stories and photos, very informative, down to earth, and easy to read..What more can one say.. Buy it, Buy it, Buy it.
.Stu Smith..

I used the idea of alumunum foil, baking soda and salt on my silver. Got out stuff that I'd not been able to clean in years.
Great idea for large pieces, or doing a set of flatware all at once.

Great, Great, Great, for the beginner or the novice..Teriffic stories and photos, very informative, down to earth, and easy to read..What more can one say.. Buy it, Buy it, Buy it.
.Stu Smith..

I loved this book! I loved Ms. Katz-Schwartz on Personal FX.....it was one of the saddest times when that show went off of the air.
Here is a chance to get reacquainted!
I thought I would put this book on the shelf as a reference, and I will, but when I started leafing through it, I had to read it all......it was a good afternoon's entertainment.
How nice to get a "two-fer"......a practical reference, and a good read all in one. Thanks from Las Vegas, the land of "two-fers"!

Having watched Judith Katz-Schwartz in MD for years, I was so happy to find this book through Jewel Collect! I think her tips and tricks are most useful, and certainly pertain to those of us who collect and sell costume jewelry, collectibles, and antiques. I have used this book almost daily for research and tips and caring for my treasures and those who go to collectors. I'm looking forward to many more by this wonderful author!

This book, which by all means should be read before "The Letter of Marque" is a wonderful, if sad installment in the series. In the midst of the unfortunate treatment of Aubrey however, is a real powerful moment towards the end of the novel. Again, a real testament to the themes of honor and friendship that abound in this series.

This is the 11th novel in the Aubrey-Maturin seagoing series. This book is all about honor and reputation, how easy they are to lose, and how hard they are to get back. The story takes place mostly on land and finds Captain Jack Aubrey an easy mark for some stock swindlers who lure him into a confidence game, with terrible consequences. Doctor Stephen Maturin finds that he has been dumped by his flighty wife, who ran off with a Swedish officer. The book ends with the men in an unaccustomed circumstance, with Aubrey reliant on Maturin to salvage his own future.

It was nice to see the series back in good form after the silliness of "The Far Side of the World." However, some of the on-going international intrigue that spans several books has gotten so complicated that I can't remember what it was about, and I find myself not caring, either.

Reviewer: Liz Clare, co-author of the historical novel "To the Ends of the Earth: The Last Journey of Lewis and Clark"

The twelve books that precede The Reverse of the Medal in the Aubrey-Maturin series together form a coherent, engaging chronicle of naval warfare, intrigue, and romance. Had its thirteenth installment been simply more of the same, the appeal might have begun to pale; however, with a single plot twist, Patrick O'Brian changes the rules of the game completely, handing Aubrey and Maturin a whole new set of challenges.(Note: plot spoilers follow).

Captain Jack Aubrey, ashore and in funds for a change, is induced to invest in the stock market on rumors of peace. When the rumors turn out to be a hoax, Aubrey is falsely accused and convicted of stock fraud and dismissed from the Navy. With his fortunes in ruins and reinstatement to his rank a dim prospect, his only choice is to take up privateering in the newly-decommissioned Surprise.

What sets this book apart from its predecessors is the extent to which we see Aubrey struggling honorably with devious opponents and murky matters quite at odds with his seamanlike competencies, and dealing with the loss of his Naval identity, so much a part of his being. In so doing, it contains some of O'Brian's finest writing - the scene of Aubrey's punishment in the pillory, cheered and protected by a city square full of seamen, is one of his most bitterly triumphant and touching.

The Reverse of the Medal is not the place to start reading this saga. However, the changes that it rings on the previous books' formula ensure a fresh tone and a new perspective that will invigorate even the most jaded veteran of stern-chases and luffing-matches.

Just one of an awesome series focusing on "Lucky" Jack Aubrey and his friend, Dr. Steven Maturin (sp?). Series is a robust and rich historical men-at-sea and -at-war yarn that covers many years in the late 1700 to early 1800s. Ah-HA! (inside joke). Simon Vance's voice is excellent and each character is distinct.

This series is an absolute treasure, and I can't recommend it highly enough. I do, however, caution you on a couple of things. O'Brian is difficult to read. Well, that's not quite fair, it's not difficult, it's slow to read. Paragraphs can go on for a page and a half or longer, and that makes it difficult to digest all that happened.

Whatever you do, don't give in to the temptation to skip sections because they seem like long descriptions. If you take the time to read them, they seem to always offer some gems of wit and a sly turn of phrase; plus, O'Brian can resolve an entire dilemma or introduce a battle and the aftermath in a couple of sentences.

Looked at from a certain point of view, it actually enhances the story because you have to think about what you just read.

Read them all and read them in order. I can't speak to the rest of the series, but up until now it is superb.

I first read this book when I was eight or nine years old, in the late 1950s. Sounds corney, but I think it changed my life. I hated where I was growing up (Las Vegas), and the stories and pictures in the Book of Marvels transported me to faraway places, taught me that there was a big beautiful world out there, and encouraged me to travel myself when I was able to do so. (I've spent years working and exploring other countries and continents.) I was surprised to read later in life that Richard Haliburton was gay, but whatever. That didn't stress me out nearly as much as the brief epilogue of the book, which noted that he disappeared on his final journey aboard a Chinese junk. It broke my heart. I hope there are kids today who can find and read the book.

My father bought this book for me when I was 6, back in the middle 50s. While my other friends were boringly reading "run, spot, run," I was being introduced to places I could only wonder about. I was entranced by his chapter on Chichen Itza and that chapter alone was THE push that allowed me to become an archaeologist many years later. Richard Halliburton will always be a hero of mine, as he gave me a love of travel, other cultures, reading, and learning. I think there is a small pocket of people across the world who have been touched by this author in the same way I have.
katwas (Juneau, Alaska)

Wonderful book that although long out of print is still a certain treasure to people who have had the luck to discover its dusty editions in libraries.

When I was 13, I was given this book. It stirred a desire to travel and see the things written about therein. Today, in my 50's, I just visited the Panama Canal written about in Chapter 13. My plan is to see all if not most marvels before I die. This book should be manadatory reading for all teen-aged children to give them a unadulterated perspective of the world and to entice them to travel. Truly a life changer and highly recommended reading.

I loved reading Book of marvels.The Author Richard Halliburton's words made me feel as if I was along with him while he traveled.
This would be the ideal book to read to your little dreamers.

Until Mac OS X came out this book helped me with _every_ hardware and software problem that ever turned up!
Only once one of my Macs was actually beyond repair, but ever since 1999 this book really saved the day.

The iMac I purchased in July 2001 is my first home computer. I found this book at the library, then discovered it contained so much good information, that I purchased it. It sometimes has too much info for a newbie, but still it is an excellent reference. This book is the "bible of troubleshooting", and a great way to learn how your computer works. I'd say it is a "must purchase"!

The iMac I purchased in July 2001 is my first home computer. I found this book at the library, then discovered it contained so much good information, that I purchased it. It sometimes has too much info for a newbie, but still it is an excellent reference. I use 2 other books along with this one, to trouble shoot and confirm resolutions to any computer problem. This book is like the "bible of troubleshooting". I'd say it is a "must purchase"!

One of the few technical books in my library that I feel has really paid for itself, and then some. Technical books are so expensive, and most of mine sit in the bookcase collecting dust within a month or two after purchasing them. This book had saved me more money than I spent on it within the first month, and I continue to use it on a regular basis. In addition to having real and practical advice on fixing problems, Mr Landau provides advice on preventative maintenance and must-have troublshooting aids, and background on how Macs work when thre aren't any problems. I would say that this book is the most essential of those aforementioned must-have tools.

I have a lot of respect for Landau .. and he knows what he's writing about ... but this was written pre-OS X.

It's time for another edition, since OS X has a whole NEW set of problems ... including the occasional "kernel panic" (read "crash"). There is also a whole new group of compatibility issues with peripherals: printers and scanners among them.

Book received in a timely manner and in good condition. I am impressed with my Amazon.com purchases.

This book is awesome!!!!!!! If you want to pass the NCLEX-PN, you have to purchased this book. This book was a blessing for me to prepare for the NCLEX-PN. Hey, I'VE PASSED TOO!

The book itself is broken down to help you learn the key elements. The cd worked fine with my computer; and I had no problems with it crashing. The cd questions can be repetitive in some sections and all of the questions in the text are on the cd.

This is a well organized book with all the information you will ever need. Also came with a disk that is very helpful, if the disk crashes like another customer mentioned its your computer not the disk. Diffently a great buy.

I purchased this book to review for the NCLEX-PN. It is well put together and easy to find the topic I am currently studying. The CD has been extremely helpful, as well.

t is beyond 5 stars This is the most clear,compelling information. I wanted to get another copy but it was not available.

We've all been taught since childhood that one person's need is a claim on the property of another - particularly if the 'another' is well off.
Galambos demolishes this fallacy and clearly shows how this false belief leads to the state predation that we all suffer.
But he goes farther than any current writer to construct mechanisms that protect property without the use of state coercion.
Read it if you have the courage.

If there were only one book I could read...it would be this book.
If there were only one book I could own...it would be this book.
I believe this book will change your life forever. Word-by-word page-by-page you'll be fascinated, challenged and enchanted by the rational dialogue. I studied under professor Galambos for over 4 years and it changed my life. I am very grateful to him and I cannot urge you strong enough to read this book now.

First off, this is not a book. It is a course. A lot of college loan money could be saved by investing in this tome first, then not reading but digesting it. After this feast of fine dining, an education might take on a different hew. As Galambos says: the difference between a human and a turnip is the degree of curiosity. Don't you really wonder:

What IS "freedom," really?
How do you know you're right?
Where does "morality" really originate?
What is happening to the world?
Is there any reason at all to be optimistic?

This "book," then, is really a course in thinking. I bought a copy about 2 years ago and have gone through it about 6 times now. I have ordered another copy to have a fresh one on my book shelf. Judging by the Turnips I encounter each day, there will be a time when a clean copy will be worth a lot. And to think, for around a hundred bucks you could get this close to real genius! Buy it. Read it. Study it. You will not see the world the same again, ever!

Read this book ... only if you are ready to have your assumptions challenged to their very core ... only if you want to assume full responsibility for your own life ... only if you are ready for the final challenge to personal growth!

This is a once-in-a-lifetime book that will change your life for the best!

Most highly recommended!