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Daddy Was a Bad Boy by Floriana Hall

This is a small book, written in a matter-of-fact style, but it packs a punch. This is essentially an autobiography though the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Despite the adversity they face, the character of these people shines through brightly. It's a true story that most of us would find difficult to believe; a story of a man with an insatiable appetite for sex, a huge, hungry ego and the selfishness of a sociopath. It is also the story of the fourteen children he sired by 3 different, simultaneous wives. Yes, he was a bigamist, a philanderer and an incestuous child molester, and they called him Daddy. Surprisingly, with numerous moves, many days of empty bellies, and a few articles of clothing, the love of their heroic mother(s) kept these children on the straight and narrow. They found happiness where they could, excelled in school, worked to support the family and tried hard to be very different from their Daddy. There is something quite compelling about this story, and I found myself thinking about the characters throughout the day, anxious to get back to the book to find out what would next happen in the lives of these seemingly normal, middle-American people. I would recommend this book to anyone - it is a trip back to "the old days" but reveals that under that wholesome appearance, many families may have been similarly dysfunctional in a time when certain things just weren't talked about.

After reading "Daddy was a bad boy" I could only marvel at the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity as portrayed by the author. I also grew up during the depression so I know what it's like to be unsure of the next meal. Although frequently out of work during the mid thirties, my daddy was loyal to his family and never strayed. I can only imagine the anxiety and insecurity of a young child denied the reassurance of a father during times of stress. I can relate to Floriana's book since my mother survived a similiar situation with a
physically abusive father who was derelict in his paternal duties. Just like Floriana, my mother rose above her early hardships and disappointments and lived a useful, productive and happy life.I admire the courage it took to write such a book.I recommend this book to anyone who harbors resentments for past injustices. It will help them accept the past and move on ---- CAJ

Floriana Hall is one of a generation of great tale-tellers. Born on October 2, 1927, just before the start of the Great Depression, Floriana's generation is of the last to remember growing up and enduring incredible hardship and poverty in this country. To add to her family's privation was the philandering and deceiving nature of her father. DADDY WAS A BAD BOY is Floriana's story.

Floriana's family was no stranger to hard times, many days eating only bread smeared with lard and sprinkled with sugar. At times when her father, the sole bread-winner of the family, was missing for days, weeks, or months on end, Floriana watched her mother go without meals to ensure that the children could eat, or beg for credit simply to buy a loaf of bread. She recalls living in homes with outhouses or homes too small for their family, bread lines and rationing during the war, and even times when she had to endure the harsh and unfair punishments doled out by her stern grandfather.

Still, Floriana managed to enjoy her childhood. Although her family was uprooted frequently, she still managed to maintain top grades, make many friends, and have her fair share of fun. In DADDY WAS A BAD BOY, Floriana recalls such things as listening to radio programs, roller skating and ice skating with friends, and playing the piano.

While DADDY WAS A BAD BOY is a mesmerizing memoir of life growing up in the `20's and `30's, taking the reader all the way to present day, it is made even more so by weaving the tale of Floriana's father, who was uncaring, philandering, and deceitful at best. The reader is able to feel the pain of a family forgotten through Floriana's eyes and ultimately witness the repentance of a sick man through his own letters.

As with most memoirs, the reader must pay close attention to names while reading DADDY WAS A BAD BOY, as family trees tend to tangle together a labyrinth of names that can blur together. Additionally, Hall alternately refers to her father as "Dad" and "Luke" - perhaps highlighting her own ambiguous feelings about just who this man was to her - which can tend to throw off a reader who is not careful. However, the story itself is so compelling, a reader would not likely need worry about not paying close enough attention.

Overall, DADDY WAS A BAD BOY is a gripping tale of a life virtually unknown to most of us today - life before modernization such as TV's, microwave ovens, and frozen dinners - and Floriana Hall a testament to the human spirit. Says Floriana, "All my life, no matter what happened, I never dwelled on the negatives. It's a good thing, as many were to come. But my happy nature, along with prayer and positive thinking, kept me smiling." (p. 11)

No doubt, DADDY WAS A BAD BOY would keep a reader smiling as well.

After reading "Daddy was a bad boy" I marveled at the courage and determination exemplified by the author and her mother who kept the family together despite all adversity. I tried to imagine what it was like to grow up wondering where daddy was and whether we would have enough to eat. My mother, a generation earlier, had a similiar childhood-- abused and deprived of a normal family life she was determined to secure a better life for her children. Floriana's story should serve as a tribute to herself, her mother and the countless women who endured similiar circumstances and refused to let history repeat itself. CAJ

Floriana Hall has written an inspiring story for people of all ages. Her life story shows that life can be worth living, even cheerfully, in spite of poverty or obstacles. Even her father's immoral and irresponsible behavior does not deter her from seeking and achieving happiness. And she has tried to understand and to forgive her father as is evident in Chapter 26 where she has included his letters and commented on them.
Her book shows that she has always had an excellent sense of humor, has made friends easily, and enjoyed life in spite of real hunger and hardships.
As I read her book, I was reminded of the novel and movie "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith; it first appeared in the 1940s. Both Betty Smith and Floriana Hall reveal that material goods are not necessary for happiness; you can be poor and and still be happy. And you can live through tragedies and adversity and still be happy. Floriana's positive outlook on life and her Christian values have enabled her to do so. But there is much more spirit and life in her book than I can tell in a few words. It's well written, down to earth, homey, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it

First published in 1948, Winston Churchill's first of six volumes of his history of the Second World War is an historical classic. The Gathering Storm volume still stands as a monument of books in the telling the causes of World War II. Along with his access to his private papers, a research team and a band of stenographers, Mr. Churchill was not the mere writer of this book, he was indeed its Conductor.
Mr. Churchill had stated that he not only intended to make history but he also intended to write that very same history. This book is more about the true causes and effects of historical events and not some mere memoir. Although I must admit Winston does make himself look good.
His breakdown of this volume is much more chronological than his writings in "The World Crisis". From "The Follies of the Victors" through "The Fall of the Government" we see the foibles and weakness of the governments in Great Britain and France and the rest of Non-Germanic Europe for that matter. We all know of Neville Chamberlain and his appeasement. His sellout of Czechoslovakia!!
You can see from this initial book, the effort and the scholarship which ultimately earned Mr. Churchill the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Yes this is a must read. This is the penultimate story of the 20th Century History.

This is a splendid book. My suspicion has always been that a lot of people are frightened away from it by the fact that it is just the first of a six-volume series, and the sheer size of the work is intimidating. If that's your reaction, think again; first, Churchill's work, while comprehensive, is also readily consumable in bite-sizes. Second, this particular volume really stands on its own for anyone who would like to understand the "why" of World War II.

Admittedly, on that "why" question, Churchill represents a particular point of view, but it is a point of view which, with hindsight, seems to have been dead-on. Had the allies not insisted on squeezing Germany nearly to death at Versailles, or had the allies not failed miserably to enforce the military terms of treaties with Germany or to arm themselves for the emerging conflict, the whole history of the twentieth century would have been very different.

My view is that historical reading is almost always best when it comes from the hand of a participant in the events; and Churchill's role in the war and in the runup to the war was important indeed. This volume covers the span of time from the end of WWI through the invasions of Poland and Norway (and the eve of the German invasion of France), and the most interesting aspect is not the military, but the political, aspect of the story. The validity of Churchill's point of view as a military historian has been the subject of much debate, but his political understanding of the factors leading up to the war is deep and detailed. No one was more aware of the threat Germany posed, and when Norway fell, no one was a more obvious choice to replace Chamberlain as PM than Churchill.

I bought this book because I wanted to understand how and why the war began, and I had no intention of reading all six volumes of Churchill's war history. But this book was so gripping and intense that I couldn't stop, and I proceeded to read the whole darned thing. Highly recomended.

This is the first volume of Churchill's Noble Prize winning six part chronicle of World War II. The Gathering Storm depicts the rise of Hitler and the indifference of the leaders of the European democracies to the clouds of the gathering storm. Churchill incorporates contemporary documentation and his own reminiscence in this opening memoir. Churchill was a great statesman with great literary ability - a winning combination. The Gathering Storm a unique work and has a message for us in today's world.

Read and reviewed by Jimmie A. Kepler

And he did. This compulisively readable account of Europe between the wars and from 09/39 to 05/40 covers European diplomatic history, shifts in British politics, Britian's unwillingness to prepare for war, Hitler's rise to power and German re-armament. It ends with the invasion of France/the Low Countries and Chuchill's ascent to Prime Minister of a National Government. For all it's readablity and heavy use of documentation and primary sources, this is still a memior and sometimes self-serving.

Churchill gathered his researchers and secretaries and wrote an account of the events of World War II. These memoirs would span a work of six volumes, and added with his other literary achievements win for him the Noble Prize in Literature. The 'Gathering Storm', Volume I, starts with the end of World War I..the war to end all wars..and concludes on May 10,1940 with Germany's invasion of the Low Countries(Holland/Belgium) and France. May 10 was also the day that Neville Chamberlain resigned as Prime Minister and Churchill was asked, by the King, to form a new Government...in effect becoming the new head of Government or Prime Minister.

This is a work that is well worth reading. The contents and wisdom are just as relevant today as then. Churchill was relentless in his opinions, good and not-so-good, and did all in his power to try and stem the coming war. He had the advantage of being in the early government as First Lord of the Admiralty from 1911 to 1915. Driven into the wilderness years by forcing the Darnanelles,..a plan he still maintained would have worked if not for the 'timid observationists'..he would still keep active in governmental affairs and had enough connections to keep up-to-date with current events. Chamberlain, in 1939, would put him back into the Admiralty as First Lord..ironically going full circle back to his old office. Now with victory and hindsight, he was in the enviable position to see and write about the events that took place, and what could have happened if certain plans had or hadn't been implemented.

Churchill states that all the trials he went through prepared him for the great task of war. Had he remained in office, the position of Prime Minister would never have come his way. He would have been swept out of office with the failed administration. Those 'invisible wings' of fate were watching out for him. He was freed from party antagonisms and with six years of warning, about the oncoming events, no one could reproach him. What he had warned about was now real and the future was not certain. Churchill felt he knew a great deal about it all and was sure he could not fail. As Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, he now had the power to direct the whole scene. That was one of the areas I felt he craved more than any. The power to move the action forward on the offensive instead of always on the defensive.

Churchill wrote of the events that were transpiring with Germany's disregard for the Treaty of Versailles, Locarno and the failure at Munich. The rise of Hilter and his ascension to Chancellor, the absorption of Austria, the neutralization of Czechoslovakia, and the fall of Poland. The timidity of England and France to respond to the treaties and strike a blow for freedom in retaliation. He doesn't hold back his opinions and what he felt should have been done. As First Lord of the Admiralty he pushed for taking the port at Narvik Norway and found this plan changed from a sea strike to a failed pincer attack. He watched with frustration the failed, yet fortunate, attempt to tangle and embed the war on the Norwegian front. It was fortunate because shortly the war was to break full upon the Western Front and all was needed there. Norway ended the twilight or false war and moved the events forward into an all out compaign of total war.

The face and technology of war has changed over these many years. I doubt we'll ever see countries signing peace documents on battleships again. Unfortunately the reality is that war is still very much alive and with us. These facts alone make these volumes important reading. Possibly the most important aspect is that we can learn from a great man's experiences and hopefully not repeat the past. Well worth adding to the library.

This is the best book for gemstone I ever have. It's very detail and compact information without too much bla... bla... bla...

A great travel guide for those buying/looking at gemstones, lots of visual id's...well worth price.

I use this book constantly as a reference in my hobby. It not only has complete descriptions of the gemstones, but the color pictures are marvelous and include not just one, but MANY pictuers of the gemstones in the rough, polished and cut states. You will be glad you purchased this book.

This book is excellent for everyone. Perfect combination of words and pictures. The things I found to be useful are the descriptions for each gemstone and they have a list of what each gemstone may possibly be confused with. They also give you alternative names for gemstones and the history of the name with its meaning. If you are interested in gemstones this is the book for you.

well, i knew about the book already. I decided to purchase it from Amazon marketplace because of its best service and best price offered. And no doubt, this book is one of the best available on the information of Gemstones

A masterpiece. We use this book in our consulting practice as a textbook of sorts - as an illustration of why and how to develop a cohesive management team and then manage "by the numbers". Stack had to learn the lesson the hard way when his company underwent an employee buy-out. Long-story-short, he figured out how to bring the management team (and the rest of the employees) into the critical reporting metrics by turning it into a "game" similar to a sporting event everyone could follow.. thus the title. It's all about "organizational readiness" and moving your team down the field together. It's also a quick read - good because you can put the ideas to work right away.

Easy to read, concise, and well written. Main points are well organized and put into a story fashion to keep your attention. It provides good insight into how to run a business openly to fully utilize every employees' talents. It makes a good case for not keeping people in the dark. It has good insights into the motivation of employees. Caution, these principles would be very hard to implement in a large corporation, unless top management "buys in". The book shows the value in making work challenging and fun and more like a "game" with healthy competition. It identifies what "healthy" competition looks like, as opposed to keeping secrets, deception, threats, or games where nobody understands the real rules, which is destructive.

Incisive and inspiring....a look at what makes people work, as well as businesses

Open-book management isn't a silver bullet but it can be very powerful. This is a compelling example of how opening up and making the corporate decision-making more transparent can pay big dividends for everyone. If it can work in a manufacturing environment it can certainly work in service businesses full of knowledge workers.

I was recommended to read this from a
good friend and mentor. I fell in love
with the concepts and even hired them to
implement the things inside this book!

If you are in business and want to take
it to another level. I could not tell you
a better book to read then this!

Matt Bacak
Author of Secrets of the Internet Millionaire Mind
and The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan

Excellent pictures, interesting information. This is a must have for Disney fans of the Haunted Mansion! It even covers Disney's other haunted mansions around the world, and the Haunted Mansion movie. Everything you ever wanted to know!

THis book was great! A ton of information on the ride! I couldnt put it down! It was great.

This book is a must read for ALL ages and ANYONE interested in Disney theme park attractions around the globe. Any Disney fan knows that the Imagineers are very particular about what is revealed to the general public in terms of how they make their Disney 'magic' and I was pleasantly surprised (being an avid Disney fan myself) by the research that went into the making of this book and the amount of knowledge shared with the reader - it DOES in fact reveal some secrets of the mansion and never before seen history of the making of the attraction. (It confirms and dispels some rumors about the attraction once and for all too!) A pattern of discussion is followed throughout the book as you are verbally walked through the mansion's corridors and rooms. Surrell consistently covers the Haunted Mansion in a logical order (Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris) in every chapter. He takes the subject matter full circle by including information about how the attraction was translated to the big screen, and gives the reader insight to how decisions were made pertaining to set design, costume design, and casting for the movie of the same name. If you want an intelligent, thorough and enjoyable read about a classic Disney attraction, and especially an insight to the magic that is Imagineering, this is a MUST READ!

Lots o' great info on both the Ride @ the Disney Theme Parks + the Movie [which I loath - sorry but the Haunted Mansion wasn't meant to be made into a 2 hour episode of the Fresh Prince of Bellaire, mmmkay ?] + the Haunted Mansion Holiday ....

Future editions should drop all reference to the Movie, then spend more time on the Haunted Mansion Holiday [Nightmare Before Christmas Holiday makeover] + recent "changes" that occured in 2006 [I'd make it a 5 star if they did that] ....

If you don't want to read the book, please buy it for the artwork
[best priced Disney Merchandise vs. what you will pay @ the Theme Parks] ....

~(^)~

You buy this book thinking it's a great "behind-the-scenes" resource, but it's not. Yes, there is some background information, but the book skips confusingly from park to park, and offers very little technical information on the special effects. The photos are all standard Disney promotional stuff...this book tells you what Disney wants you to know, and nothing else.

Go to doombuggies.com for a much better treatment of this classic ride.

My husband and I bought this book when we heard it mentioned in a sermon. We have been very blessed by the insight that is helping us to look at ourselves and the way we communicate with each other. It helps you to realize what you've been carrying that has nothing to do with present-day relationships. It also challenges you to look at yourself the way God does. It is teaching us to re-assess our worth through God's eyes. Excellent book!

Great book to help you understand why you are the way you are.
Really helped me a lot.

As a pastor and spiritual director, I've been using this book as a regular give-away to believers when it becomes obvious that they are stuck - some old wound is yet hindering them from normal spiritual growth in Christ. Having ministered among Native People for several years, as well as those dealing with addictions (even as Christians), I found the truths and principles Dr. Seamands expounds on very beneficial in truly helping people heal from their past emotional wounds, and the memories of them, and then be able to progress in spiritual development. I believe our churches have many folks sitting in the pews, Sunday after Sunday, with serious pain from their past adversely affecting their present ability to relate freely to Christ, or to others in relationships. Until we understand this, and how Christ can work through us as "ministers" by his healing grace to nullify the effects of debilitating memories, we will continue to see believers spiritually 'stuck', stagnated in their growth.
Dr. Seamand's book HEALING OF MEMORIES (now titled, REDEEMING THE PAST: RECOVERING FROM MEMORIES THAT CAUSE OUR PAIN), builds on HEALING DAMAGED EMOTIONS by going, in detail, into the process of ministering healing to those with painful, debilitating memories. Every pastor who counsels should understand how to help believers in this way!

I have read this book twice and given it to many friends and the responses are always the same. We need to understand the priciples is this book and apply them in our lives. None of us are exempt at some time or other in our lives from the issues discussed.

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It pointed out to me that I've been looking at myself through different mirrors, and I haven't been seeing myself the way God sees me. Instead of placing more guilt on ourselves, David Seamand identifies the lies and misperceptions that we've been taught over the years and encourages us to break free from the bondage of those misperceptions. This is a book that every Christian should read.

my toddler loves this book. she almost has it memorized and now pretends that she's reading it.

This story is simple enough for babies-small children to enjoy and the illustration is inspiring.

Reviewed by Janelle Martin

This beautifully illustrated day-in-the-life tale focuses on the parallel stories of a dog and cat set in the 1930s or `40s. Hondo the dog goes off to spend the day at the beach with a canine pal. Fabian the cat stays at home with "the baby." Each has adventures and readers are invited to decide which pet has more fun.

The language in Hondo & Fabian is spare, featuring parallel narratives using similar words and sentence structure.

"Hondo is going to the beach to meet his friend Fred.

Fabian is going to the living room to play with the baby."

Hondo gets hungry after diving in the waves and "wishes he could eat the fish." Fabian gets hungry after playing with the toilet roll and "wishes he could eat the turkey sandwich."

The basic language allows children to elaborate on the story from their own experience and imagination. The large type size means this book will function well as a transitional book as your child starts to recognize words and practices reading.

Parents will enjoy the vintage feel of Peter McCarty's exquisite pencil illustrations while children will respond to the loveable animals. As he states in an interview with Publisher's Weekly, he loves the "pure visual shape of things from that era" and it is a period which he features in many of his books.

Children who enjoy the adventures of Hondo & Fabian will want to read Fabian Escapes, the sequel in which Fabian explores the world while Hondo stays home with the baby. Hondo & Fabian was a Caldecott Honor Book in 2003 for Peter McCarty's outstanding illustrations.

I am at that grandmotherly age with three grandchildren, ages 3, 6, and 7. After years away from children's books, I have become re-acquainted. I must say, the second time around is better! New illustrators, new stories, new thrills.

Thrills can come in different varieties. The subject of this review is "Honda and Fabian," such a gentle, sweet book, a thrill because it is so sweet and gentle. Hondo and Fabian live together in the same house. Their people take Hondo the dog to the beach with his best buddy Fred, another dog. Why can't Fabian go? Because he is a cat, cats don't like oceans, nor are they taken out anywhere, being the individual, poor-minding creatures they are. Basically, this story outlines the basic differences between dogs and cats as companions.

While Hondo romps and barks in the ocean, Fabian is at home with the walking, ruffian-of-a-girl dangerous one. She clutches Fabian until he formulates an avoidance scheme to hide-low the rest of the day.

When Hondo returns home, they return to their joint routines and all is right with the world. This is such a simple story but underlines the friendship that even a cat and dog can have with each other. Hopefully, the listening child understands that his sibling is also a friend.

I love this book and recommend it highly for your little ones.

Yo, woof! I'm Hondo.

Hi, I'm Fabian. Have you seen the book just about us? OK, maybe the baby and that other dog that hangs with Hondo are in it, but basically the book is about our lives, well, actually, just one day in our lives.

Woof! My job is to tell you about our book. Our buddy, Peter McCarty, wrote and illustrated it. I have to tell you, woof, that he made both of us a bit "large boned."

You mean "fat" don't you, Hondo? Meow, you know we're fat, what with all the food we get. Anyway, before we start the story, I would like you to open to the end pages and look at those illustrations of both of us. Would you move over just a bit--I would like to rub my scent glands on the edges of the book. I'm marking this book because I like it so much.

Woof, look at us sleeping. Peter gave us that blurry look so little children would know it's sleepy time and all fuzzy inside our heads.

Meow, you know us cats: Slight us and we turn our backs. The people took Hondo and left me with....dun dun dun dun...the BABY!!! No way I'll get any shut-eye now!. Better get my hisser ready.

Wooooooof! Love the wind in my face, and, oh bow wow, the s-m-e-l-l-s are glorious! Hey, it's Fred. Yo, Fred, race ya!!

Dun dun dun dun--the BABY has got me. Yelp! Hissss, but I have to be nice. Gotta keep the claws in! It's a BABY even if she is dangerous!

Yipeee, yippeee, jump the waves. Yo, man, having fun-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-!!! Wait'll I tell Fabian!!

The BABY. Gotta get away....gotta get away....I'll show 'em what's what. Leaving me with the BABY. Take that, take that, take that. There, done! Success again--got all the soft stuff (some kind of paper) in the bathroom over and out and down on the floor. Wait'll I get my claws on Hondo....that dog!

Hey, Fabian. I had a blast! Jumped the waves. Tried to steal a fish. Hung out with Fred. Woof, what a day!!

Meow, Hondo. Another day, another bowl of food... Let me say this: If I ever get out of here, I am going on my own adventure...Meow!

Good night, Fabian.

Good night, Hondo.

Good night, BABY.

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!