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

Companies
The NPR Listener's Encyclopedia of Classical Music
Published in Paperback by Workman Publishing Company (2006-04-11)
Author: Ted Libbey
List price: $19.95
New price: $7.97
Used price: $6.94
Collectible price: $400.00

Average review score:

NPR LIstener's Enclyclopedia of Classical Music
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-08
Even for the true classic music afficiando, this is a helpful compendium of names and selections to use when purchasing albums or for general hands on reference.

An Excellent and Inspiring Guide
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-09
I hope that no potential readers were offput by the very silly and petty Publishers Weekly review. This is a very helpful and at times facinating guide to classical music and recorded music performance. Libbey's expertise and passion make for great reading. Very insightful and very helpful when searching for a good recording of a favorite piece.

A delightful experience for any classical music lover.
Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-24
"The NPR Listener's Encyclopedia of Classical Music" is a delightful combination reference book and video game for all classical music buffs. Besides its nearly 1,000 pages of listings, from Claudio Abbado to Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, the book gives you access to a page on the Naxos Music website which allows you to listen to more than 500 musical selections online. I just signed on to the page for the first time, and listened to the very first listed selection--John Adams' "Shaker Loops." I look forward to hours of fun with this wonderful new toy! I appreciate the breadth and depth of knowledge author Ted Libbey brings to the project, as well as his inclusion of favorites of mine who aren't necessarily well-known to today's listening public, such as the Danish tenor Aksel Schiotz. In his introduction, Libbey notes he tried to avoid the gaps and errors in such standard reference works as Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, and adds, "Doubtless there will be errors still, and for these I accept full responsibility." Alas, I have already caught him in two. The first is the listing of Beethoven's birthday as December 17, 1770, when even "Peanuts'" Schroeder and Lucy know that Beethoven was born on December 16. Of course, that could have been a printer's or proofreader's error, but the second mistake is more serious--when Libbey states that Vladimir Horowitz withdrew from the concert stage in 1953 in a severe depression over the suicide of his only daughter. Actually, Horowitz's daughter, Sonia, did not commit suicide until the 1970s (which caused Horowitz a second bout of severe depression); I'm not sure exactly what caused Horowitz's 1953 breakdown, but I had always understood that an addiction to prescription drugs was at least partly to blame. Nevertheless, these are minor caveats to an otherwise enjoyable and informative volume. Any classical music lover with computer access would be happy to own it.

NPR is better
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-09
Couldn't choose between the NPR ecyclopedia and the Vantage Guide so bought both. The NPR book is younger, more detailed, more information on a wider variety of artists and composers and in my opinion ; much better.

A handy reference
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-13
Don't get this if you are looking for an overview of music history, this is a reference book--exactly as advertised.

It comes with a login to naxos.com that allows you to listen to literally hundreds of hours of music from the naxos library for free! This is a tremendous value.

I was most impressed by the sheer amount of information--not just the historic information, even my favorite 20th and 21st century composers were given a fair amount of coverage.

Companies
The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing
Published in Hardcover by Hackett Publishing Company (2003-09)
Author: Michael Harvey
List price: $19.95
New price: $24.16
Used price: $10.96

Average review score:

Should be bundled with high school diplomas
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-23
As a graduate student in Psychology I get to read and correct mountains of papers from intro-level classes. Now that I am about to get my degree and start teaching those classes, I realize that students need a book that shows them how to write a sentence. This is the book I have chosen for my Principles of Psychology classes. Harvey's concise style and recognition of the pompous style most young college students choose to write in is enlightening and entertaining. The small book is filled with great examples of what not to do alongside examples of how to fix the problem(s). Even though I have literally decades of technical and academic writing experience, the book has helped me to be more concise and to link my thoughts together in a more readable and efficient way. I highly recommend this book for students and especially for teachers. So what if you are not teaching English - if you require students to write, your students will produce better papers (that you have to read!) after using this book. It's required for my psych class!

A bit sparse in the spine
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-27
This is a helpful book, but lacks some key aspects needed in college level English classes. Example: paraphrasing is not covered. Quotes are covered extensively though. Good for the price, handy, light to carry, but could use additions.

Surpasses Strunk and White
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-28
I'm a fan of The Elements of Style. I still have the students in my freshman composition class read it each year for its clear, concise guidelines to writing with style.

There are two striking flaws to that book though. First, the writing guidelines appear, too often, to my students as being arbitrary. In The Elements of Style, the logic behind good grammar rules is occasionally neglected in order to keep things brief. Each rule is just the truth because the book says so. Second, style is clearly a product of culture, and a result, the version of style Strunk and White offers fails to be as appropriate today as it once was.

The Nuts and Bolts of College writing amends these two errors. Almost everything in The Elements of Style is present here, too, but Harvey has provided a context sufficient for developing an understanding of these stylistic principles. He organizes the book according to values clearly desirable in writing: clarity, flow, gracefulness, etc. By discussing a principle such "using the active voice" within the context of clarity, Harvey effectively communicates why such an approach produces better writing. It's not just another rule to follow anymore. Additionally, Harvey's examples and his updates to stylistic norms make the book very timely.

In all, it's very handy tool in a writing classroom. I think it's the best of its kind currently available.

Big help for college
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-21
Anyone who wants a no nonsense approach for how to write (in general), needs this book. It teaches you how to write clearly and concisely and cuts through all the garbage. The author provides clears examples for what not to do and makes comparisons between good and bad writing. I highly recommend this book.

excellent little book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-16
The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing goes over the fundamentals of good essay writing such as concision, clarity, flow, punctuation, and topic sentence for a paragraph and so on. It is an excellent reference book for college students and writers in general. The book however does not go into term or research paper writing.

Companies
Old Friends
Published in Hardcover by Houghton Mifflin Company (1993-09-20)
Author: Tracy Kidder
List price: $22.95
New price: $1.88
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $22.95

Average review score:

Face to Face
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-11
I had just signed up for long-term nursing care insurance, a very expensive commitment. I had a number of books I had been waiting to read, and I picked up OLD FRIENDS, thinking I would read a piece of nostalgia.

I was wrong. I picked up and read enthusiastically a book about nursing homes. Tracy Kidder's book makes clear what my long-term insurance is all about. No brochures could have described what he does here.

I became enmeshed in the lives of the residents. I watched them become "nudnicks." I overheard their conversations about life and death. I, too, looked forward to Lou's rambling memories. I worried about Joe's toe and if he'd lose it.

Both of my parents died suddenly, and as a result I had no experience with long-term care. I say "God bless" to all the workers in nursing homes and to Tracy Kidder who made this entire experience so vivid.

I now feel prepared myself if I should ever need this care.

Larry Rochelle, author of GULF GHOST, BLUE ICE and GHOSTLY EMBERS: VISIONS OF TOLEDO

THE BEST IS YET TO COME......
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-28

After spending a year at Linda Manor, a nursing home in Massachusetts, Pulitzer Prize winning author Tracy Kidder offers no generalized discourse on the problems of aging in America, but rather a touching story of friendship, reconciliation, and peace.

Joe Torchio is 72-years-old, a former probation officer, and has suffered a stroke. Bitterly railing against the losses that have beset him in life, the death of a son, the birth of a retarded daughter, Joe has forsaken his Catholic faith.

At 92 years of age, Lou Freed is blind yet resolutely curious about everything. He is a Jew who is not terribly religious but is sometimes given to pondering theological questions.

The pairing of this unlikely duo as roommates might bode bickering and discontent. Not so in Kidder's hands - we find a gradually blooming friendship which enables both men to live in their new environment and face limited futures with equanimity, courage, and grace.

This is not just Lou and Joe's story, it may be your story or mine. Of course, it is a tale of old age and approaching death. It is also a toast to life.

- Gail Cooke

If you will one day grow old
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-27
This reads like eloquent fiction, but is in truth the story of Tracy's father. He doesn't say which character his father is, and he doesn't insert himself into the story. But what a wonderful, heart-bending story it is. At all times the sadness of the situation is eclipsed by the bravery and courage of people without hope; people who do the best they can, and it is more than enough. For any of us who will grow old, which is most of us, this is a must read.

A Year in the Life
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-13
This book chronicles a year in the lives of the residents of an ordinary American nursing home. From 1989-1991, Kidder spent much time getting to know the residents of nursing home on the outskirts of Northampton, Massachusetts. In this book, he describes some of the characters he met there, and some of the friends he got to know well. He describes some of the special events that occurred in the nursing home that year, but also relates much of the ordinary daily occurrences in nursing home life, from the morning bowel movement survey, to watching a demented resident try to pick the flowers in the carpet, to chatting with the guys in the breakfast club supervising the dining room set-up.

Although Kidder tries to present a cross-section of nursing home residents, from the former vaudeville performer, to the bank vice president, many of his tales focus on the drama and antics of two roommates, Lou and Joe. The pace of the book can be agonizingly slow in places, as we wait for something to happen. The pacing is one way for Kidder to capture the sense of the place, a place where every day is more or less like the next--"Beautiful day," as one resident writes in her journal every morning. It's an eye-opening experience to read this book, and come to understand the heroic effort it takes to present a smiling face to the world when trapped in a body wracked by aches and pains while stuck in an institution away from family and friends, most often against one's wishes.

Kidder offers some perspective on our lives...
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-13
This is a beautifully meandering story of two nursing home residents, their year spent in a growing friendship within the walls of "Linda Manor." And it's more than that-- In this story, Tracy Kidder involves a whole cast of residents, interacting in ways that paint a more creatively human picture of a nursing home than most would imagine is the case. They make up a community in and of themselves, even planning and taking part in a play put on for other residents, staff, & families. It's a place of friendships, laughs, worries, dread concerns, but mostly of friendships and the efforts of the elderly characters in reaching out to their fellow residents during the last chapters of their lives. I appreciated the realism Kidder offers in this book, clearly based on his own one-year experience at the actual "Linda Manor" in Massachusetts.

Companies
The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, Vol. 1: Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments
Published in Hardcover by Doubleday & Company (1983-10-28)
Author: James H. Charlesworth
List price: $60.00
New price: $60.00
Used price: $39.90
Collectible price: $100.00

Average review score:

Extremely Satisfied
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-24
Book was received in New, Mint Condition. Was mailed in a very timely manner, and I am extremely happy with my purchase.

Essential Reading for Scholars
Helpful Votes: 13 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-20
This and volume 2 are the most up-to-date and scholarly collections of extra-canonical Jewish literature of the Second Temple period in English. Any student or scholar of Second Temple Judaism, Historical Jesus, or Early Christianity will find these tomes invaluable. Each work is prefaced, footnoted, and cross-referenced, making them accessable to non-experts, as well as providing extra textual information of rmore advanced scholarship. well worth the money.

Accessable non-canonical works a real Treasure
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-09
Some of the best literature, whether divinely inspired or not, has long been lost to the world, too often for political ends. Fortunately, volumes like this one, admirably edited by James H. Charlesworth, replenish much of what was "lost" between the time of the Councils at Jamina and Nicaea.

Whatever one's creed or intentions, if one approaches this volume in earnest, one will find much of interest including, but not limited to, strong, implied historical evidence of egregious tampering by the early Church fathers of certain non-canonical works. A good example in this collection is 1 Enoch, which had been in the canon for centuries before being finally removed and, in the West, abandoned. In other instances, copies were, on Church orders, simply destroyed. Fortunately, complete copies of Enoch (or Henok) were preserved in Ethopic texts. In fact, the version of 1 Enoch presented in this volume (translated by E. Isaac) is largely structured on the Ethiopic texts, though the Aramaic fragments found among the Dead Sea Scrolls have been consulted along with Greek and Hebrew renditions. Charlesworth has also included many other fine renditions of apocalyptic works, including selections from the Syriac and Slavonian. Even more is to be had in the many non-canonical Testaments presented here, many with apocalyptic passages.

Matters of whether these "rebel" and "outcast" books appeared to be divinely inspired by the various communities that embraced them is a matter of conjecture, though there are strong hints here and there from the various communities of seekers that preserved these texts around the Mediterranean world. Of greater interest to me was the thoroughness with which each non-canonical text has been researched and translated. Charlesworth should be lauded for at least that contribution to our body of collective knowledge about what was being written and by whom at the end of the pre-Christian era and in the early years of the Common Era.

To the truly curious I recommend both volumes, whether for personal enrichment, Bible study, research, or tasting and comparing various translations of non-canonical literature. This is as unbiased a compilation as I have seen in many years. I rank it with the work being done by scholars like Geza Vermes as invaluable to any person seeking a deeper understanding of the great minds on either side of that turbulent millennium (i.e., give or take 300-500 years either way). Of course these writings can lead one's mind to many other insights and down many other paths of inquiry and thought; that is best left for the individual.

Be assured that this scholarly work is exactly that, and is not only highly-informative about the stories, symbols and myths of non-canonical literature that informed the consciousness of the Near East and eventually the Western world, but this volume does so in a highly accessible way. It is easy to read and certainly gives one pause. Savor it.

Be prepared to spend much study time on this book
Helpful Votes: 33 out of 33 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-30
I am neither a biblical scholar nor a theological student, and therefore came to this book by a somewhat circuitous route. After reading several books on the Dead Sea Scrolls, the books of Flavius Josephus, Edward Gibbon's Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire, various Ecclesiastical Histories which I found on the Net, the Jerusalem Bible, Harpers Bible Dictionary, I finally arrived at Volume I of the Ante-Nicene Fathers which I also found on the Net. While I was reading this last work (which I have not yet finished), I came to realise that there was definitely something lacking in my knowledge of the development of Early Christianity. I didn't want to read a book about that topic, I wanted to read the original sources, so apart from the Bible itself, what else is there? Well the Pseudepigrapha for one! So, I looked at what was on the Net, but decided that the translations there were definitely old and somewhat obsolete, and didn't really have much explanation as to what I would be reading.

This book, on the other hand, contains up-to-date translations of the books of the Pseudipigrapha, which are the work of 24 eminent biblical scholars from various parts of the world, and include detailed explanations of the texts. Volume I contains 19 books of Apocalyptic Literature and related works, as well as the testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Solomon, and Adam.

It was worth every penny I paid for it, and it took me over three months to read it. I can truthfully say that I read it from cover to cover, all xlix pages of Introductory material and 995 pages of text, including the small type detailed notes which for some books occupy more space than the text itself.

In an introductory chapter, Dr Charlesworth reviews the definition and importance of the Pseudepigrapha along with significant theological conceptions of the main period in which these books seems to have been written (mainly between 200BCE to 200AD).

Each book is introduced by a discussion of the contents, the original language of the text, the probable date, where it was written, its historical importance, its theological importance, its cultural importance, earlier translations, relationship to other books, and a Select bibliography. The texts themselves contain cross references to other biblical texts as well as copious detailed notes on the text itself. For me, it was as important to read the introductory section and the detailed notes as it was to read the texts themselves.

I have to confess I found it very hard to concentrate on the Books on Enoch, which are the first three books covered, and comprise about one third of the book. They were very repetitive, and mystical to say the least, but after I was over that hurdle the going was easier, and I can honestly say that I was somewhat sorry when I reached the end.

Did it meet my expectations? Yes, definitely. How much have I absorbed? Not as much as I would have liked, but enough to know what to look for when I need a reference guide. And I think I will definitely have a better understanding of the various writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers and their successors.

It's obviously not a book for everyone, but if you wish to read the books of the Pseudepigrapha, I think this book has to be the best of those currently available with its up-to-date translations and comprehensive explanatory notes. I definitely plan to get Volume II.

Cool
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-23
This was a very interesting read. It offers more insight into the belief systems of the early judeo-christian religion. There are many interesting stories within this volume. If you get into "other views" or the Apocrypha, read this and Volume 2.

Companies
Once...
Published in Paperback by 1st Company Books (2000-09-01)
Author: Scott Rogers
List price: $9.95
New price: $7.47
Used price: $0.04

Average review score:

Children Love It!!!!!!!!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-30
I read to my son's class and had selected two stories to read. By the time I left I had read the entire book. They kept asking for me to "read another one". Need I say more? This is a wonderful book for children. Highly recommended.

A little book with a BIG message
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-06
What I liked most about Once is the great messages in the stories. When I first read it I thought how much my kids would like it, but then, by the time I finished reading it, I realized how much I liked it. The messages are not just for the kids. Bunny Green is so true to life and yet told in a way that kids will easily understand the message and the meaning.

I was really suprised how much a kiddies book could have an effect on me. Grouch almost made me cry and made me realize how much I love my friends.

A great book, a great buy and a great bunch of messages.

A has it all children's book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-04
"Once.." really does have it all. Great stories, funny characters, wonderful morals, and cute lovable illustrations. I really hope this book wins an award. It really is a great buy, my kids loved it and I enjoy reading it to them. I hope there is a "Once II..." or at least a follow up? Amazon...do you know if that will happen? Let us know.

Such a surprise
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2000-11-19
It is not often I find such a wonderful book by chance. I read Once from cover to cover before reading it to my children who loved the characters as much as I did.

Herman the Pebble is now a star in his own right with my children.

A teacher's dream
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-11-08
As an elementary education major, I am always on the lookout for new childrens' books. "Once" is a fabulous new children's book. The characters are cute and loveable (my favorite is Herman the pebble) and each character must learn to deal with various life situations. This book is good for children of all ages. Each story is wonderful. I plan on reading this book to my students for years to come. When is the next one coming out? :)

Companies
The Only Way to Cross
Published in Hardcover by MacMillan Publishing Company. (1972-10)
Author: John Maxtone-Graham
List price: $5.00
Used price: $5.50

Average review score:

biblical !
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-11
Mr Maxtone Graham's work is a pure piece of art for all people with a love for classic liners and their times. It revives a (regrettably) lost way of life. A true bible.

True Ocean Liner Nostalgia At Its' Best
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-06
I have two copies of this book and keep one on our boat in Ft Pierce, FL for guests to read and one at home for ME to re-read. Although we have cruised on the blue-water fleet numerous times, I love to read about the pre-jet crossings of a (seemingly) romantic and for the most part, by-gone era. When you read this book, it is so evocative tht you can close your eyes and almost imagine that you are there on a chilly quai in New York City about to depart for the great cities of Europe on one of the great liners. An absolute MUST READ for any ocean liner fan. I re-read this one often in the wee hours of the morning.

A Classic in its own time
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-15
I devoured this book and you will too. John Maxtone-Graham is one of a kind, a marine historian who is urbane, erudite, and literate. He has written an absorbing book, filled with fun, details, anecdotes, and marine dreams. Here's to Big Ships and big dreams - That toast has a kind of 1920's ring to it. But I loved it. You will too.

The Only Book to Read...
Helpful Votes: 15 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-22
I had the pleasure of meeting John Maxtone-Graham aboard the SS Norway in 1985. He autographed a copy of "The Only Way to Cross" and I have read it at least 3 times. I'll never tire of his detailed accounts of the ships and the people that made that era.

What I found really wonderful about the book was not only learning about the best parts of transatlantic travel but the worst as well. The section on Steerage as well as on the Boiler rooms show you every side of what life was like aboard the grandest ships to ever ply the oceans of the world.

If you buy only one book in your life buy this one!

It's more than Titanic
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2002-05-31
This is a must read for any Oceanliner or ship fan. It will transport you back to the days when the steamship was truly the only way to cross. After reading this book you'll realize that those floating barge-hotels that Carnival and the other Megalines call ships will never be Luxury liners! Long live the SS Norway!

Companies
Otto, the Boy at the Window: Peter Otto Abele's True Story of Escape from the Holocaust and New Life in America
Published in Paperback by Creative Arts Book Company (2001-10-01)
Authors: Peter Abeles and Tom Hicks
List price: $14.95
New price: $493.11
Used price: $3.24
Collectible price: $14.95

Average review score:

Peter Abeles's life story we all should read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-08
One of the books you find difficult to put down until you finished the entire book. A story of a small boy looking out of a window at a world of the holocaust with all its horror and who is able to escape, survive and prosper in this land despite a difficult family relationship except for his love for his brother. The story of how he became a successful business man and a loving, caring family man despite his relationship with his parents should be reading material for all young people.

Americas' Promise
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-24
A soulful personal account of the Holocaust, loss of freedom and property, and relocation to America by a true survivor. Initiated through his child-eyed visions of Nazi dominance in his Austrian homeland, Mr. Abeles' brings us full circle to his tremendous success and triumph as an American citizen and businessman. An outstanding testament to the power of the American dream, and the immigration opportunities that our forefathers intended....

Lessons in life
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-25
Even though some parents don't know how or can't display their love in traditional ways, Peter Abeles' story shows that the love is still there. How much he and his brother loved each other was emphasized by the lack of expression by his parents. The beautiful part is how Peter learned how to express his love with the help of his wife Bonnie. Unfortunately, these lessons were learned after his parents' death. Everybody can learn from Peter's story.

Otto,Boy at the window
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-26
The book takes you on a journey with a young boy named Otto. His family's trip from Vienna during the start of the Holocaust to their arrival in America. When Otto looks out the window he sees how everyone else around him live with loving parents. He finds no love in his own family except for Otto's brother Heinz Robert. Otto's success is due to hard work and long hours. This has taken him away from his own family. Eventually, the long hours at work pay off with success and family love and appreciation. A joy to read and to think about your own family's hardships and success. I am gald that my son-in-law (Joe) gave me this book to read.

Healing the past
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-23
Peter has done a beautiful job in describing the necessity of finding out about your past if you want experience peace in your life today and in the future. Often we don't want to look "back there" but the author shows us much courage and honesty in confronting the demons of his past and the healing that comes as a result.

Companies
The Power of Alignment: How Great Companies Stay Centered and Accomplish Extraordinary Things
Published in Hardcover by Wiley (1997-05-19)
Authors: George Labovitz and Victor Rosansky
List price: $35.00
New price: $3.36
Used price: $3.06

Average review score:

As significant today as it was when first published
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-26
After reviewing several books on Strategic Execution, I was continuously left with the feeling that the authors had ommitted a key ingredient. This book has convinced me that that key ingredient was "Alignment".
This book was published 10 years ago (OK, I am embarrassed that I have only just got around to reading it) but it is as significant today as it was when it was first published. Probably more so considering the rapid state of change that most companies are faced with today.
It is a simple read, and the concepts are easy to follow. What I enjoyed most about the book is that the suggestions are practical and you can take them and implement them immediately within an organization.
I noticed that one of the readers who has reviewed the book said that the book was required reading for his MBA course. 10 years on, I still think it should be required reading for any business executive.

This Is a Great Resource!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-10
I'm always looking for visual ways of understanding critical elements of strategy. The Power of Alignment offers a very helpful way of thinking about four important ingredients in keeping the main thing, the main thing. Vertical alignment, the relationship between your strategy and the people on your team, "energizes...provides direction, and offers opportunity for involvement." Horizontal alignment refers to the connection between your processes and customers. Taken together the two measures provide some great insight into the development of genuine alignment.

One of the most interesting elements of the book is a 16 question diagnostic tool that is designed to provide a graphic view of your organization's alignment. Very helpful!

Make Sure That Everything You Do Points To Success !
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-03
Great book! The basic premise is that once a business has a raison d'etre, or a 'main thing', that profits are maximized by the alignment of four key business areas: Strategy, Processes, People, and Customers. Built on this premise are actionalbe ways to build a self-aligning organization. I got the sense of discovering truth while I read this book. Leadership isn't really about power, it is about responsibility. This book shows a manager at any level how to align his area to the overall strategy of the company and to the end products of the company. It shows how processes should be designed and what factors should be used to reward, recognize and evaluate employees. Great food for thought and realistic to implement.

Five Stars

Powerful Organizational Focus
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-05-28
Quite simply, this book was one of the best business management and leadership books I have ever read. It was well-written and expertly balanced management and leadership concepts with real-world examples of effectively aligned organizations, such as Federal Express and Southwest Airlines. This book should be read and discussed by leaders and managers at all levels, especially by mid- to senior-level executives.

In brief, alignment deals with the relationships among the people, processes, strategy, and customers of an organization relative to that organization's purpose, or what the authors called "the main thing." Alignment is both a noun, a state of being, and a verb, a set of actions. Vertical alignment connects organizational strategy with the people responsible for transforming that strategy into meaningful work. Horizontal alignment deals with understanding your customers' wants and then creating processes to deliver what your customers want, when and how they want it. Effective leadership nurtures the organizational culture that is built around and upon "the main thing," and it is this culture and leadership combination that drives and sustains self-aligning organizations in turbulent times.

The authors' analogy of landing a plane helped me to visualize the dynamics involved with organizational alignment. To land a plane, a pilot must adjust and react to multiple simultaneous factors and conditions (i.e. air speed, altitude, angle of approach, wind speed and direction, etc.) and then understand how a change in one will affect the others. Likewise, to align an organization, a leader must adjust and react to feedback about his people, processes, strategy, and customers, and then understand how a change in one will affect the others.

The authors clearly and thoroughly explained the alignment factors and conditions throughout the book. They followed their explanations with incisive questions for readers to ask about themselves and their organizations to assess their degree of alignment. Those questions were definitely a highlight of the book for they really helped to stimulate my thinking and should help inspire organizational progress to alignment. Another highlight was the appendices that contained examples of actual tools and products used and created by some of the aligned organizations studied by the authors.

The inside back cover jacket sums up why I give the book my highest recommendation: "Essential reading for all managers and executives, "The Power of Alignment" offers a new way to reestablish focus and sustained energy, and is a dynamic approach for staying balanced and achieving extraordinary levels of performance."

Alignment is Key Essential Usually Overlooked
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-07-13
I found this book easy reading, concise, and presented it's basic premise well with specific examples and good suggestions for creation and implementation.

Working as a Director in Managed Care for several pharmaceutical companies, it creates a focus for any organization and a roadmap for the future(physician, health plan, pharmaceutical company) to avoid many of the mistakes and pitfalls that have already been experienced in an attempt to align with the ever changing healthcare landscape.

For those who do account management, it provides a construct and roadmap to use to optimize alignment with internal customers and maximize resources to create value and return with the external customers (....and their customers.) As the authors point, alignment is a continuing process, not a single event in time. Many companies become quickly aligned with the past, and misaligned with the present & future, and can not sustain the competitive edge because they forget this basic premise that the authors reinforce.

The concepts are basic and fundamental, but usually overlooked and forgotten in the day to day business of rapidly growing companies and changing environments.

Companies
Pregnancy Myths: An Obstetrician Demystifies Pregnancy from Conception to Birth
Published in Paperback by Marlowe & Company (1998-10)
Author: Michael D. Benson
List price: $14.95
New price: $2.99
Used price: $0.17
Collectible price: $14.95

Average review score:

excellent
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-13
this book was a great source of information for those who are pregnant and also for those who work in the field of obstetrics

This book uncovers the truth about pregnancy
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-03-04
Benson does an excellent job of "wiping the slate clean" of old myths that have been passed down for generations, and he also addresses many common questions and concerns regarding routine testing and procedures. Pregnancy myths is written in an informative style that captured my interest on every topic of the birthing process. This book uncovers the truth about pregnancy and gives reassurance with scientific fact that risk and complications are the minority to the vast numbers of pregnancies today.

Easy to read, highly informative book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-24
I found "Pregnancy Myths" to be a highly informative, concisely written source on many questions I had as an expectant mother, and many others I had not thought to ask.

It was comprehensive -- yet easy to read and understand.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1998-12-31
I just had the opportunity to read "Pregnancy Myths" by Dr. Michael Benson. I found the book to be very comprehensive -- yet easy to read and understand. His book is an excellent resource, which addresses a variety of pregnancy-related questions and myths -- from conception through birth. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all those considering pregnancy as well as those in the midst of the experience.

Dr. Benson provides a clear explanation for many myths.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1998-12-17
As a prenatal educator, I found Br. Benson's book to provide a clear explanation for many of the "old wives' tales" surrounding pregnancy. His explanations are based on scientific fact without being difficult to understand. As an OB staff educator I recommend Dr. Benson's book as a resource for nurses with limited experience in answering a family's questions about pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum.

Companies
QUANTUM GOLF
Published in Hardcover by Little, Brown and Company (1991-08-21)
Author: K ENHAGER
List price: $14.95
New price: $14.53
Used price: $0.10
Collectible price: $14.95

Average review score:

Quantum Golf
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-05
I have found most "self improvement" golf books to be difficult to grasp without great photographic portrayal of the techniques being taught. Video would make them all that much better. This book, however, deals with easy to grasp concepts and exercises that are practical and efficient. What a great thought process the super fluid concept is! This is just the book needed for those who need to take a break from the physical grind of improving their golf game and get into the mental end of the spectrum.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi plays golf
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-02
I'd heard of transcendental meditation since the mid-70's and always found it fascinating. I never paid the exorbitant fee they wanted to learn it, but understood enough of the fundamentals that I could apply it to some things in my life.

This was the first book about golf that actually used those principles. I had been in the Navy for quite a while and had the opportunity to play golf at many fine courses around the world.

I bought this book one early summer while my handicap was hovering around 17 and went on leave. I read the book, practiced the way the teacher asked in the book, and went back to my duties after my thirty day leave. Within a month, I had my handicap down to 12 (quite an accomplishment for a self-taught duffer like myself.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that aspires to achieve "Zen" in their golf game.

Amazing
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-29
A PGA master professional told me that my greatest problem was rhythm and tempo. He introduced me to a few aspects of "quantum golf" and I suddenly hit my 3-iron longer than I previously hit my driver.

Back in Europe I still focused on my rhythm and tempo but after several months the length of my shots decreased and I went back to classical golf.

Only after reading the book "quantum golf" I saw that I was missing one essential part of quantum golf - the Q-position. I went back to quantum golf and my results are amazing: my length and precision off the tee improved a lot.

Quantum Golf
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-12-27
A fascinating novella, where a Mr. Smith learns about himself as he explores golf with a mystical teacher in the middle of Iowa. Great reading for tennis players or golfers who want to learn a "superfluid" swing, but also for the golf/tennis metaphors that apply to life. Delightful

Excellent Book To Learn Rhythm
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-27
I'm a pretty good golfer, and I knew that my game was plateauing. I was stuck at about 79-83, and I knew that spending time beating balls at the driving range was getting me no where. I bought this book based on the reviews I saw here, and I have to admit I am SHOCKED. The book is that good. It's a story, that reveals the secrets of golf within it, primarily teaching you better rhythm, and how to "dance with the club", I feel the difference already, and I have owned the book for only 3 days. Its a great read, and very helpful, I would recommend to all level of players.


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