Consultants Books

Without hesitation I've put this book on my short list of recommendations for anyone who wants to learn more about the Vietnam War. Not at the top simply because it assumes some prior knowledge about many of the players involved and the historical events described but it should be included, (I think), with books by Halberstam, Sheehan, etc. Why? The Bundy brothers were at the center of most if not all the policy and military decisions concerning Vietnam made during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations - McGeorge as Special Assistant to the President on National Security Affairs to both presidents and William working under McNamara, (Defense) and then Dean Rusk, (State). This book/author does an excellent job of putting these decisions in the context of the Bundy brothers' background, upbringing, education, intellect, loyalty and sense of duty, i.e. all the things a biography should do. Will the reader agree with all the decisions the Bundys made? ...Of course not. In fact one may disagree with every decision each or both of them did make but this book gives the reader an appreciation or at least an understanding as to how and why they came about. (As an aside, most of the questions/doubts concerning Vietnam policy made in hindsight, were raised contemporaneously by one or both of the Bundys -just another piece to this overly complex puzzle) Regarding the book's perspective/objectivity, I have no complaints and found the author admirably evenhanded - Although there are some anecdotes concerning peripheral individuals, (i.e. Henry Kissinger), which do not show them in the most positive light and may even raise a smirk from the reader. Finally although this review has centered on the Bundys and Vietnam this book chronicles much more, both before and after the Vietnam War - Henry Stimson, military service, the CIA, McCarthyism and the Cold War, Harvard and Yale, Cuba, the Ford Foundation - but in the interest of brevity I hope I've made my point.

According to this book everything President Kennedy did was sinister and hawk-like and everything the Bundy boys did was well intentioned and high-minded. It's so blatantly slanted it's disgusting.

In addition, it doesn't even address major questions about the behavior of McGeorge Bundy. For example it mentions that the night before the Bay of Pigs invasion Bundy called Richard Bissell of the CIA and canceled the planned dawn airstrikes that JFK had authorized. JFK did not authorize the cancellation of the airstrikes; Bundy just did it on his own. WHY? Kai Bird never explains why, and never even expresses curiosity. This is a glaring omission in a book supposedly showing what made the Bundy boys tick.

But as another reviewer noted, Kai Bird writes for The Nation, the faux "left"/establishment left publication. So that makes it clear why an author of theirs would try to paint the Bundys as "liberal" and JFK as a hawk, which is exactly backwards.

I gave it a star because the book still has some interesting history and insights.

THE COLOR OF TRUTH: MCGEORGE BUNDY AND WILLIAM BUNDY, BROTHERS IN ARMS: A BIOGRAPHY is essential reading for anyone trying to understand American foreign policy in the twentieth century. This book is well-researched and full of previously-undisclosed information. It also provides two portraits of what "establishment liberalism" was, how it developed, and its consequences. In the process, some of the most fascinating moments in American history are illuminated, most of the time unfavorably.

From their respective military careers in WWII to their numerous positions in academia, government, and the non-profit sector, these two brothers were at the center of a huge web of personal and professional contacts in the American establishment. They were in many ways, the best, but also very flawed. This biography reveals those flaws, and the consequences of their failures.

This book is very dense, especially during the sections dealing with the question of Vietnam, and an acquaintance with the brothers' own corpus of work is helpful and increases the potency of the book's analytical edge. It should be required reading for anyone interested in government policy, because it reveals how decisions are made, and how human beings think.

I happened upon this book in a bookstore in New York. I'm not going to say it changed my life: it would take a lot for a biography to do that. But for what it is: a biography of two men who were raised to hold the reins of power, than did so in one of this countries most difficult periods, the book is balanced, insightful, and enlightening.

I was a bit worried going into the book that Bird, a frequent contributer to the Nation, would perform an unbalanced hatchet-job on these two men-- who must of course be seen with their redeeming qualities. And he does. This is a well-researched, well-put together book. It is a must read for anyone interested in Vietnam, the Kennedy Administration, or foreign affairs in general.

Like nothing else available, Kai Bird's THE COLOR OF TRUTH demystifies liberal pragmatic centrist (the Bundy brothers were EXTREMELY difficult to categorize/pin, politically) contributions to a disastrous post-WWII U.S. foreign policy drift that continues to this day. It does re-cover best/brightest territory, but in the nicest sense of recovery, with graceful focus on key players plus perspective & freedom-of-information access impossible for Halberstam. A case of perfect historian timing? Primary sources still alive/available but no longer needing/wishing to defend/protect/fib too heavily? Bird is a contributing editor for The Nation & dedicates the book, partly, to his parents, lifelong worried opponents of brutal wars in the Middle East, but has no axe to grind, is familiar with context by virtue of previous work on John J. McCloy, appropriately begins with Henry Stimson & Harvey Bundy, father of a couple of perhaps frighteningly blessed sons.

William & McGeorge Bundy grew into decent bright academics who would indirectly destroy millions of humans, plus their own reputations, by doing exactly what bright decent academics get paid do, usually fairly harmlessly. In order to operate in the professional expert marketplace, one must learn to develop/defend theses. Neither of the brothers was a certified official Dr. Henry VIP (an easter egg the size of the Ritz is noted at the bottom of p. 407 of the hardcover) dignitary, but certain allowances can/will be made for the off-the-charts smartly impatient. These guys were good, even superb, at thesis concoction/defense. Also connected well past needing paper proof? Regardless, thesis defense can get out of hand, seriously, if/when thesis basis information turns out to be inaccurate/skewed or even flatly atrociously wrong. What can a responsible expert do? Admit erroneous basis? Revise thesis? Even, if one has accepted a government job, reverse policy? Perhaps. But this can feel mighty embarrassing, or swampy/waffling/kinetic, especially if U.S. troops have already died under prevailing false thesis conditions & elections impend? So, if one is an unusually gifted aristomandarin character, as both William &, probably even moreso, Mac were, all sorts of spinning options are open? After all, one is a professional? Execute the assignment? Indeed.

It took many to generate bloody quagmire in Vietnam. The Bundy brothers were merely essential state-of-the-art instruments (filtering network managers, the postmodern equivalent of loyal trusted Machiavellian courtiers?) humbly serving two Democratic presidents who failed to get a sane/sage grip on something set in motion by congenial Ike. McGeorge Bundy departed in 1966, just as the unreconstructed Texan in LBJ began to explode. Bill left in 1969, before the incoming Nixon plus Dick's own academic favorite, vastly less decent than either Bundy, cranked Vietnam up/down into criminally pointless/cynical brutality, or peace with honor. Bill Bundy eventually wondered, in writing, about the final five years of the futile war he had contributed to failing to curtail.

Bird's chapter on the JFK government adventurism regarding Cuba, which set a tone, is especially valuable, as is his fairly relentless harping on the bizarrely spooky nature/bias of the American electorate during the middle years of the cool quasi-war with the Evil Empire. The Bundy brothers were NOT very bad men, as gentle reader learns as Bird tells of McGeorge at the Ford Foundation or William writing up himself (plus later even more pragmatic others) for arrogant carelessness. But they WERE very bad wizards, which can/does happen when professional experts overestimate their [genius] rights/capabilities, still. Even now? Might be safer to inform/trust our own judgements, sometimes?

Quality in Delivered Product as well as Content.
A quick and easy transaction.

This is one in a series of THE MAN WHO which followed all those CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT, a kind of follow through with some of the same characters. This one is a violent man involved with the martial arts and who kills without conscience. He had killed his own brother while drunk. Enough said.

This is touted to be a 'tale of a hero's dark night of the soul.' I feel he has no soul. Any killer is lacking morals and any other virtue. Most drunks lack all the needed virtues to function in this world.

Stephen Donaldson is one of my favorite writers for the trio he did with A MAN RIDES THROUGH as one of them. He had a good woman in these about time travel back to medieval times. I read his GAP series, GAP INTO VISION, GAP INTO MADNESS; I think there had to have been a third in this series. Anyway, I read them but did not understand much, so I classed it as science fiction.

If this book is based on real life, it is a life I know nothing of and wouldn't want to -- I had a young neighbor boy back in Pulaski who watched KUNG FO on t.v. and would get out in the front yard and perform all those moves with a long stick. Before I realized what he was emulating, I thought the child had gone crazy. To me, the martial arts are too noisy to begin with and ridiculous to watch. I suppose you're supposed to scare off your opponent by kicking high and yelling. To me, that is the coward's way out, not real fighting.

Brew fits his name as he is an alcoholic whose loved ones have turned their backs on him (mainly because of the murder he committed), not his drinking. The love of his life seems to be as seedy a character as he.

Donaldson, who lives in New Mexico (my daughter-in-law said she had met him when my son was a teacher in Alburque), is perfect with his use of the English lalnguage, the thing which attracted me to his writings. Now, he is on a MAN thing, THE MAN WHO RISKED HIS BROTHER, THE MAN WHO KILLED HIS BROTHER, THE MAN WHO FOUGHT ALONE, (a new series, I guess) and A MAN WHO RIDES THROUGH (which I loved, he was not a modern man but was from the medieval times). We need more dignity and humility as they practiced back then, even with the cruelty in wars.

We still have much cruelty in war. Consider the beheadings which are a continuing thing going on at the moment in Iran. Where has civilization gone -- to the dogs?! A dog-eat-dog world, what a drudge for sensitive, civilized folks.

As an unabashed SRD fan and having enjoyed the other books in this series, I was surprised to find this read a little flat. I think the thing that initially threw me off was to find that tough-as-nails Mick Axebrewer starts the book by taking a job as a rent-a-cop at a kung fu tournament. WHAT? Is this how far the mighty (or at least grim-and-gritty angst-ridden heroes) have fallen. Seriously, Brew as a security guard?!? And this three day tournament which sets up the whole mystery portion of the story takes a mere 150 pages to slough through. The set up is extremely slow and could have (should have) been edited down to a few introductory chapters. Once the tournament is over and the meat of the story takes place, it becomes a pretty solid effort, but getting there can be a bit of a chore. Sure, the drama is a little "over-acted" and Donaldson does tip off who he real bad guy is a little early in the story but the last half of the book is still a pretty decent read. A hundred pages shorter and a little less grim introspection and this could have been a much better book. I think Donaldson may have gotten caught up a little too much in expounding on a subject with which he is very interested but which his readers might not find quite so captivating.

First, I'd say that Stephen R. Donaldson is my favorite author. Secondly, I'm not just a sci-fi/fantasy reader. My primary reading is the mystery genre. I started reading Mr. Donaldson's work in the early 80s and have continued to read everything he's written. If I'd stumbled across these books before I knew who wrote them, I'd have been addicted years ago to this series.

I began this series with this particular book approximately 6 months ago. It was so awesome that I searched out all the other books and was amazed I didn't know about it for over 20 years.

While this series is quite different from any other Donaldson has written, you can still strongly see his signature in the characters. The language is far less complicated than in his other works and I vaguely missed the challenge of the strong vocabulary while at the same time, appreciating his vivid and evocative descriptions of persons, places and events.

The characters, as in Donaldson's other series, are typically dark and wounded. It's always clear to the reader that if they would only talk openly to each other, they could move more lightly through the world. Alas, it's not meant to be and, as in real life, the characters hold their grief and guilt close and use it as an excuse to not communicate with those who are most important to them and to engage in self-indulgent behavior.

Brew and Ginny are excellent examples of Donaldson's characters. I find them to be very believable and compelling. Mick lives in deep shame and guilt over his alcoholism, accidentally killing his brother while trying to stop a purse snatcher, believing it was his fault his partner lost her hand in a bombing. Yet even in his grief, guilt and self-pity there is a core of strength and loyalty that are compelling. An earlier reviewer referred to him as a wounded bear... I think that analogy is dead on.

In this story, the pair of detectives work apart for the first time in their long history together and both are partially crippled by the distance between them.

As in all the stories, the plot has a lot of unexpected twists and turns. The depth of his insights into Shotokan Karate inspired me to seek out a Shotokan class when my daughter was interested in learning a martial art. Like Mick, the more I learned, the more interested I became.

Overall, I'd rate this book and the entire series 5 stars. The characters are compelling, the plots are captivating and the writing is superb.

I have to admit, I had an awfully hard time getting started with this book. I'm a big fan of Stephen R. Donaldson, and with his recent books I realise I have very high expectations and I'm always afraid that this is where he is going to lose his edge and start going downhill.

It hasn't happened yet, though. This series of mysteries (The Man Who Killed His Brother, The Man Who Risked His Partner, The Man Who Tries to Get Away, and now The Man Who Fought Alone) is another great series, stylistically quite different from any of his other books. I find it a bit hard to describe: the previous books in the series have been almost-parodies of stock detective-book plots; stock plots that Donaldson has injected with his own unique (often dark) perspective, effectively combined with a frequently light attitude that can really be quite humorous. The Man Who Fought Alone is more straighforward and less humorous than previous books, although the overall feel of the book is a bit lighter as Axebrewder starts to bring his life under control. Donaldon has managed to work the martial arts theme quite well too, with a look inside the world or martial arts competition which is both interesting and manages to develop good characters. This is what always draws me to Stephen R. Donalson's books, the wonderfully textured and developed characters, each with their own strengths and foibles and, well, character that really stands out in a genre that is not know for such things.

Now, the start of the book is a bit slow, and it's overall not quite as tight as previous entries in the series. The first few chapters will probably have a few long-time Donaldson fans rolling their eyes a bit as old Axebrewder goes on his lengthy "woe is me" bit. After this slightly rocky start, though, the book really does take off and it thoroghly engrossed me. It's not quite the best in the series, but the series is quite good and The Man Who Fought Alone is highly recommended. I'm glad that it looks like the whole series is being re-issued in hardback under Stephen R. Donaldson's real name (they were previously published under a pseudonym, Reed Stephens); they've been hard-to-get for some time and given his success, this is long overdue.

very entertaining, i couldn't put down the book, so I read it in one or two days.
The book is divided into two parts: first is marvin's biography, the second discussess his impacts on others.

You'll enjoy this book, if:
- you want to understand from where came Mckinsey's requirements for candidates
- you are curious, how mckinsey gained current face (e.g. from where came his 'unified principles accross all country', why do they select the best candidates, why it is a company based on partnership, rather then shareholders; etc.)

The reader can follow marvin's thinking, see how his decisions are based on facts. I learned a lot purely by reading his speech from a meeting of partners (included in the appendix in the book).

That being said, a couple of chapters from the second part seemed boring (resumes of leaders who worked with him; or business stories of these leaders), so I just didn't read them. The book was still very valuable.

Also check out his book, written by him closely before his death, "will to lead".

I never thought I would end up in business, but did. thought the book was a great look into the history of a firm. It has helped me review some of my own decisions and better understand them - what I did right instinctively and where there might be some opportunity to rethink things.

I enjoyed reading about the founder and found the lessons practical to what I am doing today.

This book tells the story - atleast it tries to - of one of the most influential persons in business management, and hence its something worth reading. But on the otherhand, its not a great book from the style of writing - it doesn't really tell a good story and the over-riding focus on integrity - given the more than few recent episodes - I am tempted to say, its not a very balanced piece of work.

But I certainly recommend this book - despite giving it just 3 stars - gives us an insight into this influential person and his life. It provides some great ideas - valid even today on developing and living a concept - in this case - Management Consulting. And well, also shows the importance of being at the right place at the right time and having the presence of mind to realise the same!!

I will still wait for a better written book on the life of Marvin and McKinsey sometime in the future!

Marvin Bower may be the most influential businessman you've never heard of. The firm he shaped into an international powerhouse, McKinsey & Company, doesn't bear his name, and he never made splashy public gifts. Yet the company that spawned the management consulting industry would not exist today without this remarkable man's clear, compelling vision. Bower or his consultants transformed countless companies and executives for the better. Here, author Elizabeth Haas Edersheim assembles dozens of testimonials to Marvin Bower's integrity, honesty and drive to excel. Her book contains the story of his life, but it reads less like a biography and more like a Harvard Business School case study - a bit dry, and chock-full of interview transcripts rather than compelling narrative. However, its similarity to a case study is oddly appropriate, since Bower was one of the first graduates of the Harvard Business School and remained connected with it for many years, even defending its case study method of teaching when it came under attack in the late 1970s. We recommend this book to leaders, to those who aspire to lead and to consultants who want to study the best of their profession in action.

Elizabeth Haas Edersheim holds a PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and worked at McKinsey & Company from 1979 to 1988. She is now strategic advisor to a number of Fortune 500 companies. The late Marvin Bower is seen as the creator/inventor of management consulting. I see this book, which was published in 2004, as a semi-autobiography. It is split up in two parts, whereby the first part - Translating a Vision into Reality - discusses the creation and development of McKinsey & Company and the second part - A Leader's Leader - discusses the impact of Bower on others.

The first chapter - Marvin Bower - discusses is a short summary on the working life of Marvin Bower, who was born in Cleveland in 1903 and died at the age of in January 2003. During his lifetime worked for a total of 59 years at McKinsey & Company, which he almost personally transformed from "a nearly defunct accounting and engineering firm into a preeminent adviser to senior executives throughout business and, on occasion, government". His most remarkable distinction was his dedication to value and his personal integrity, which is a common theme throughout the book. Bower was the first person to graduate from Harvard Law School (1928) and later Harvard Business School (1930). The short second chapter - The Vision - discusses Bower's vision of and passion for management consulting which began during his career as a lawyer at Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue between 1930 and 1933. His vision and values led the management consulting firm of McKinsey & Co., which was formed by James O. McKinsey, from a staff of 18 in 1933 to 2,500 by the time of his retirement in 1992. The third chapter - The Profession and the Institution - discusses the profession of management consulting and the institution (McKinsey & Co.). Bower conceived his vision of the institution as one firm with: a national presence; a strong firm personality; high-caliber, talented, and committed people; aversion to complacency; and regenerating leadership. Each is discussed in detail. "And - except for its personnel - a good reputation is a professional firm's most valuable earning asset." The fourth and final chapter of the first part - Defining Moments of Leadership and Influence - discusses the nine points of key decision making spanning a 60-year period. Each of these nine points is discussed in detail, they range from the decision to go for a one-firm identity nationally in 1939 through to the objection to a joint venture with venture capital firm DLJ on 1969.

Chapter 5 - The Bower Reach - starts the weaker second part of the book. This chapter discusses the power and reach of Marvin Bower's leadership, which is truly astounding. During Bower's 17 years as managing director of McKinsey, more than 50 of the consultants evolved into CEOs of leading global companies. The author identifies 6 attributes responsible for his rich legacy of leadership. One of the most useful parts of this chapter is Bower's 1950-memorandum titled "Steps in Making and Executing Decisions", which essentially discusses McKinsey's famous problem-solving model (for more, read Ethan Rasiel's The McKinsey Mind). Chapter 6 - Inspiring Organizational Courage - discusses the fact that Bower was not reckless, but fearless. "Not all clients were willing or able to muster the courage required to make bold moves; others were put off by Marvin's bluntness." This courage is discussed through case examples at Royal Dutch Shell (1956), Price Waterhouse (1979), and Harvard (1979). Chapter 7 - Educating a Generation of Leaders - discusses some examples from the list of graduates from the "Marvin School". It discusses in detail the careers of Harvey Golub (ex-Chairman of American Express), Gary MacDougal (leader of the Illinois welfare system reform), David Ogilvy (founder and ex-Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather), and Don Gogal (president and CEO of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Inc.). There are some short, but impressive, CVs from other McKinsey alumni. The book is concluded with a note by the author, timelines for Marvin Bower, McKinsey & Co. and Harvard Business School, a brief biography of Marvin Bower, and Marvin Bower's speech at the Partners' Conference of 1964.

I must admit that I am somewhat disappointed by this book. It starts of strong in the first part, but loses strength very much in the second part. Even so, we must acknowledge that Marvin Bower's work has left an enormous impact on business and the world. He was the visionary who created and developed management consulting through McKinsey & Company. I believe that the strongest part of his leadership was his principles and values, which are discussed in great detail in the first part of the book. I must admit that I expected more detail on McKinsey & Company itself, such as the problem-solving techniques, internal training, and recruitment of the strongest talent in the world. One other comment I have is that I am now quite interested in Marvin Bower's personal memoirs to which the author makes lots of references. I have been quite hard and given this book 3 stars (4 stars for the first part and 3 for the second part) just to indicate my disappointment. I recommend readers to read the first part of the book, the author's note and appendices.

This book was so great I could not put it down. I read it in two days. The plot is great and will keep you on your toes until the end. I would advise anyone intrested in suspense, romance, and mystery to read this book.

Sloane Burbank is doing her best to forge a new life for herself as an independent consultant after being injured on the job and leaving the FBI. She fills her days with conferences, seminars and investigations that allow her to use her skills yet put no stress on her injured hand, which was severely slashed during a takedown when she was still with the FBI.

When contacted out of the blue by the mother of her childhood friend, Penny Truman, Sloane is alarmed to hear that Penny has been missing for a year with no clue as to where or why she disappeared. Sloane immediately agrees to go over the reports from the investigation into Penny's disappearance and see if she can wring out any additional information in order to locate her former companion.

Although her hopes of finding Penny alive are slim, Sloane still gives the case her all as she does everything she undertakes. Even if she can do nothing more than find a body or answers to Penny's disappearance in order to help Penny's parents move on, she's determined to do it. Unfortunately, doing so puts her into close contact with her former lover and co-worker, Special Agent Derek Parker.

Penny knows that Derek is going to be completely underwhelmed by her reappearance into his life, yet loyalty to Penny and the Trumans drives Sloane on to face a demon from her past. It's just too bad that this particular demon has the appearance of a god and still has the power to make her heart race and her pulse pound.

It doesn't take long for Sloane and Derek to find themselves thrown together by this investigation, which escalates quickly. Sloane's research into the disappearing women and Derek's assignment investigating into Chinese organized crime and murdered sex workers amazingly cross paths and bring them both to the trail of the same killer. Unfortunately, the women who have already disappeared and those who have died are not satisfying the perpetrator, and Sloane becomes his next target.

While Sloane works to find the unaccounted-for victims and Derek struggles to protect the woman he loves, the killer makes alarming progress in his sick plan. The clock is ticking as victim after victim disappears, and the case takes one ugly turn after another.

Will Sloane be able to save the many women whose families are frantic with worry? Will Derek be able to protect Sloane, who has quickly worked her way back into his heart? Will time and police work be enough, or will they all fall victim to the evil that is at work? The only way to find out is to keep turning those pages!

Two highly motivated investigators and a madman obsessed with the Greek goddesses of mythology all combine to make TWISTED an unputdownable page turner, and it's easy to find yourself caught up in the investigation and the fate of these women as are Derek and Sloane. Andrea Kane has penned yet another book that urges --- no, make that demands --- the reader race to the conclusion with all the intensity and purpose of the main characters. Fans will be glad to know that a sequel is in the works!

--- Reviewed by Amie Taylor

Others have summarized the plot so I won't bother rehashing that. My difficulty was with the writing itself. The plot was good, but I had a hard time staying connected with this book. I felt no connection with the main characters. Strong female characters are great, but other authors have been able to show strong female leads while still portraying them as human. I don't feel that happened here. Sloane came off as cold and detached, and frankly very uninteresting. Also, calling this a romance is quite a stretch. There may have been a few sex scenes, but there was little sexual tension and no romance. Added to that, many parts of this book read more like a dry technical manuscript than a romantic suspense. And while some background filler is necessary, there were so many excessive, pointless ramblings here that it makes me wonder how closely the editors read this manuscript before sending it to print. I seriously doubt I'll ever try anything by this author again, but if I do, I'll definitely be getting it from the public library rather than spending my hard-earned money on it.

The parents of an old friend ask ex-FBI agent, now private consultant Sloane Burbank if she would look into the disappearance of their daughter Penny, who has been missing for almost a year. Sloane, who is taking time off from the FBI because she was wounded on duty, isn't ready to go back to work, but she throws herself headlong into the case and even though the leads are thin, Sloane soon becomes convinced Penny didn't disappear willingly. Then she finds out about more young women who have disappeared.

Sloane gets the FBI interested, but the special agent they put in charge is her ex-lover Derek Parker and to make matters worse it looks like the madman responsible might have Sloane in his sights. In fact, it appears all of the missing women have a connection somehow to Sloane. Can she unravel it all in time? Probably, because she is a highly trained person who is in perfect shape and can kill with her bare hands. Sloane is a heroine you can sink your teeth into, as is this fine thriller.

This was my first book by Andrea Kane, but it won't be my last. The pace was quick, the characters believable in a fun sort of way, especially Sloane, who I sort of imagined as a kind of a female Jason Bourne without the memory loss. She's rawhide tough, whip cracking smart and somehow vulnerable as well. Time spent with Ms. Kanes's Slone Burbank is time you're going to enjoy.

Ken Douglas, author of Scorpion, Desperation Moon & Dead Ringer.

Twisted is a great romantic suspense novel written by a talented writer. This intriguing plot takes place in the great New York City area. The book is structured in such multiple dimensions that you can't help but think she has experienced some of it along her life. The characters are brilliantly convincing all on their own. Main character Sloan burbank was a former FBI agent who retired due to an injury in Cleveland. She is going thru multiple surgeries and therapy due to that crazy boy slicing her hand. She wishes to join the FBI again as an agent but can't until her hand is healed. Meanwhile while her hand heals she devotes her times to her consulting business. Luckily with her many associates in the law enforcement she gets a bunch of work. Sloan gets a message from the mother of her childhood friend Penny Truman where she learns that she has disappeared. The Trumans ask her to try and find out what happened to their daughter. She knowing the victim well has an advantage of spotting clues that others overlooked. The romance and suspense now builds with her being forced to work with old lover Derek Parker in the force to find out what happened to Penny. The book ends with the identity of the sociopath remaining elusive. Sloan begins to see similarities in other disappearances of women and Derek starts to realize the connection with Sloan so that's when the book gets extremely interesting. It finishes with a climax you won't forget.

VERY GOOD BOOK IN INTERVIEWING AND INVESTIGATION. AND IN GETTING A JOB AND MUCH MORE.

This is a very useful book. I highly recommend it to everybody interested in consulting.

Great book. This and Marc Cosentino's book "Case in point" are the only two books you need. I read these books 1 week before my interviews and practiced as suggested and received my offer.


Thank you Vault.

The book i received has some charts not shown up clearly. Some charts are misplaced in the book like the ones on page 51. The quality of the book (at least the print) doesn't look professional. The content is similar to other case interview books.

I have read the biggest part of this book, and most of it satisfies my expectations. There are a lot of tips and stories about consulting cases in it. I helped me to understand what to expect for consulting cases and how to prepare them.
I am a bit disappointed about the quality of the book, if you compare it to the price. The book is not very thick, it is made of recycled paper and there are advertorials in it.
Otherwise the inside information is useful, so it is a good thing to buy this book.

This is an incredible series of mystery books if you like mysteries, cats, and Las Vegas!

He is one cool cat! Midnight Louie would be welcome in my home anyday along with his dear Mum, Ma Barker and sister, Midnight Louise, oh and we can't forget his sweet papa (now retired). A truly delightful read which keeps you looking for the next book in this great series.

I discovered the Midnight Louie books over 2 years ago and have ravenosly read them all. Cat in a Neon Nightmare is full of unexpected surprises. A major chapter unexpectedly closes here and through Mrs. Nelson Douglas' artistry we are made to feel the void opened by this event as closely as those it affects in the book. Almost every character this time around is exposed to a truth or happenstance that disappoints them/shocks them at a deep soul biting level and we feel it right with them. Everything is not black and white, not all things happen due to premeditation--like real life--somethings just do. A wonderful continuation of the Midnight Louie adventures and by the emotions it evokes, a wonderful example of what a writer can make their readers feel when they have a grasp of the craft as well as Carole Nelson Douglas obviously does. Huzzah!

Many of the reviewers here have read many, or all, of the books in this series. I haven't. This is the first "Midnight Louie" book I've read.

I won't be reading any more of this series, though I might try the author's Adler series.

The author spends a lot of time trying to bring new readers up to speed. Unfortunately, the attempts to explain the various twists and turns in past books add little by way of clarity, and serve to distract the reader (at least this reader) from the story at hand.

While this mystery theoretically addresses the violent death of a woman, the human characters invest relatively little time, energy, or thought in trying to solve that mystery. The feline characters are considerably more interested in finding out what happened.

The investigation of this death is lost amidst a tangle of sub-plots. Characters appear, initiate discussions of Important Topics (not related to the woman's death), and vanish.

Imagine someone going to the roof of a building with a bushel basket of tennis balls. Imagine that person upending the basket so that the balls fall to the sidewalk below, bouncing in every direction. Imagine the person then describing where the various balls bounced to, and where some of the balls came to rest. That's the sense I had with this book -- the author's attention followed this bouncing ball, then dropped that one to check out another bouncing ball, and then on to another, then back to the first from another perspective. The investigation of the character's death was just one bouncing ball, often overlooked.

For me as one reader, this book was completely unsatisfactory as a mystery.

Readers who like stories with a lot of divergence would probably like this book better than readers like me, who like a sense of convergence and even closure of the story at hand.

Readers who enjoy characters who are talking cats, or characters who are humans with a penchant for feeling many emotions and then expressing their views about how they feel to other human characters, will undoubtedly like this book better than I did.

I've just finished this one, and each book in the Midnight
Louie series becomes more exciting! I love the Big Cats and the addition of Louie's mother. I see the love interests of the main characters becoming more confused, complex and even more interesting. I enjoy the characters immensely and feel that I know Temple, Matt, Max and even Molina. I can't wait for the next book to come out in paperback to find out what happens to all of them next.

I've loved this series from the beginning because of the continuing character growth as well as the humor. And the zany Las Vegas background has evolved along with the main characters.

The author spoke recently at my local library, so I asked how come books I love, like this one, sometimes get such negative reviews online. She said sometimes a book's content will hit too close to home and really push a reader's buttons; at least that's what she's found with completely negative reactions. When I showed her a review on this book that was so opposite my reaction, she also said that people's opinions are just that, and they can't be argued with.

But she also was pretty puzzled that someone complained she'd labeled the character of Max as a "lone wolf" so many times it was to the point of nausea. So she did a word search for the phrase after she flew back home and emailed me the results: Max is called a lone wolf in only one of the 16 books: this last one, Cat in a Neon Nightmare. She only found that the phrase lone wolf used twice in earlier books, once by the cat detective, Midnight Louie, contrasting feline and canine behavior, and once as a metaphor for a motorcycle that plays a role in the series.

Amazing, some people aren't really seeing what's in the books, they're reacting to what they think they see. In fact, their comments can be downright wrong in terms of fact as well as opinion.

So my advice is to read these books for yourself and make up your own minds. And write your own review if you don't agree with with what's posted!

It was a quick, lightly entertaining...I'll read something by the same author in the future, I'm sure (although I'd probably get it from the library!)

To me, this book was straight chick lit, and poor chick lit at that. The writing was so full of cliches and stilted language and the "intrigue" was not interesting. In fact I am having trouble finishing it even though it's a fast read.

Since I used to live in London, I buy any chick-lit that's based there, whether I think it looks interesting or not. This book stuck out at me since it's rare to see a chick-lit book that explores mildly-intellectual things (business ethics for example) while still telling a single-girl-coming-into-her-own story.

The premise of the book is that Jen's mother wants her to infiltrate her estranged father's company to find evidence that he is linked to some illegal business dealings. Jen's parents divorced nastily fifteen years before, and her mother went on to start an "ethical" business consultancy to compete with her father's "big business" company. Jen joins the company, and quickly right becomes wrong, left becomes right, the good guy becomes the bad guy.

With a neat and tidy little twist at the end, the book is clever and tells a good story. It drags on in parts, and the dialogue isn't the greatest (the "real life" conversation between Jen and her boyfriend ordering takeout made me want to scream) but I definitely think it's a great escapist chick-lit book, ranking up there with Sophie Kinsella and Helen Fielding.

This book was truly enjoyable. This book is the 2nd I've read written by her. I enjoyed it and kept wanting to read more!

I had a really time getting interested in this book. I wasn't a big fan of the character, Harriet (Jen's mom), and wasn't looking forward to reading too much more about her and her interactions with Jen. Luckily Harriet was not in all that many scenes in the book.

Once I got going with the book I enjoyed it. I found most all the characters likeable. I didn't necessarily feel like I got to Jen all that much but there was enough to work with and relate to.

The book picked up and I sat down and read straight through the last 80 pages. I would recommend it.

A friend recently moved from being a technical engineer to the role of sales consultant, and I recommended this book to him, and decided to put in a review to recommend it to others as well. I read this book a while ago and found it to be exactly what it claims to be. It explains the stages of a typical technical sales process, whether it be some trendy enterprise software, databases, or any other technical product. In the process it clearly identifies the different responsibilities between the roles of sales person, and technical sales consultant, which can be a bit confusing sometimes for someone new in the role. Also it goes into typical pit-falls and tricky situations and explains how to handle them. Some parts, e.g. utilities mentioned, are a little out dated, but the principles are still the same today, and I recommend it to anyone who is new to technical presales.

I have been a sales engineer (SE) for a major telecom equipment vendor selling to a billion dollar customer for about five years. I spent fifteen plus years deep within the development lab never really even seeing a customer let alone selling successfully to one. This book does a good job covering all the bases for SEs. I wish I had read it in the beginning of my career as an SE, and would recommend it to anyone who is an SE or considering becoming one. Even for very seasoned SEs, there are techniques in effectively speaking to the customer that would likely make the book well worth reviewing.

If you are a new sales rep, you will find this book a realistic (if wordy) guide to the activities & challenges you will face in selling a technical product. If you are a marketer, you will learn more about the tasks, issues & roadblocks your sales reps deal with every day. Both types of readers will benefit from reading the chapter "Eight Challenging Prospects."

An excellent text for Sales Engineers, Product Managers, and related job titles. This book provides a good roadmap to help understand the key aspects of the technical sales process. A chapter on demonstrations offers some basics to help get organized for a new practitioner.

As a seasoned sales professional coming from a lightly technical background, I had hoped that this book (although targeted to technical folks in a light selling capacity) would provide some insight divergent from a traditional industry. As such, it completely missed the mark. Indeed, I am not sure that it would be well worth it for its intended audience. It is not at all useful in 'making' the technical sale in the least. However, it might serve a purpose for engineers and other technical types in understanding the business component of their respective industry. With some modification to the text, I would retitle the book, 'Why do sales and business people do that?'.

I really had to work on this one to keep the story straight. I felt like I had ADD most of the time. It is not a bad story and parts of it I really like but it was just too much work.

Kitty the Cutter finally got what she deserved in the last book, which is where this book picks up.

Temple is hired to do PR for a furniture store, which is really a front for a drug smuggling operation. Bad things happen to nice people and Temple investigates the murder of a loved one for an old friend. Windows are shot out, Temple is threatened by a gay motorcycle gang, and there is another murder.

The romantic triangle is back and stronger. Max has other fish to fry and just sort of drops in a time or two in this book. That leaves Temple open to the attentions of Matt who is definitely interested in a relationship with her, and they come VERY close to acting on it. Max had better do more than just feel guilty about neglecting her.

The Fontana brothers are an absolute hoot and I hope we see more of them. We also find out a little more about them in this book. More of Ma Barker and her gang would be welcome, too.

There are some weaknesses. Like an earlier reviewer said, there are too many Jimmy Choo references and shoe talk in general. It is hard to tell who is speaking sometimes (a chronic fault in this series). The part about the pictures used as a signal is weak and not very subtle, even if the plot is built on it. Also, there is one glaring error that neither the writer nor the editor caught: Mozart's "murderous rival" was Salieri, not Solari (Solari was an architect). Antonio Salieri was Mozart's competitor of sorts, not a killer. Why change the name, unless it was an error? Temple put her Jimmy Choo'd foot in it

Overall, it was a good read and I look forward to the next one.

I couldn't get into the story as most of the sentences were gussied up with fancy prepositions and the gratuitous use of "Jimmy Choos." With 380 pages to go, I wrote my $$$ as a loss.

A tad bit slow in the beginning but so worth it when the hook finally sinks in. The characters are as colorful as always and I feel a thrill of delight at each of their witty snaps. I was ably caught up in the relationship troubles of our svelte lady Temple and the visit to Midnight Louie's mother was precious.

For those who haven't read any of the Midnight Louie books before, I'd say start at the beginning but by all means, continue on down to this one. For those who have... of course you must have this for your complete collection!

I'm desperately addicted to these books. While I really enjoy the individual mysteries, and "Orange Twist" is a good 'un, I'm absolutely hooked on the overarcing storyline, laid out in what will, eventually, be 27 chapters (starting with "Catnap" and "Pussyfoot" before the alphabet starts with "Blue Monday"). About the only thing I can't stand is that I'm going to have to wait about eleven years for, oh, say, "Cat in a Zebra Stripe"!

This installment moves the lives of our intrepid cast of characters forward without losing track of the intriguing mystery at hand, murder in a new furniture store. The ever-resiliant Miss Temple Barr tackles her PR duties while sleuthing out who the culprit(s) are with her usual finesse and style, and in the meantime, my favorite golden boy Matt finally makes his move while the nice-but-rarely-there Max is too busy, once again, saving the world from rogue magicians to get in the way. Pardon my lack of impartiality, but good.

Midnight Louie and possible-daughter Midnight Louise round up a cast of cat characters to help save the day and rope in the baddies and, of course, save Louie's beloved Miss Temple! Also nice to see some folks from the "old days" back, including Danny Dove and the flotilla of Fontana Brothers. I also very much appreciated the extremely sensitive and intelligent use of gay characters. Hooray for Ms. Douglas.

All in all, an extremely pleasant read and my favorite of the series since "Cat in an Indigo Mood." It's really tough to have to wait a year between chapters. One fun thing is to read the series rapidly and in order, which, with this volume, is up to 16 chapters and of course has taken over a decade to write, while only about two years of "book time" has passed, which means Las Vegas has swelled, changed, and grown at an awesome rapid pace. Topical events happen in staggeringly rapid session. But no matter. Even with the occasional inconsistency (often a sudden change of hotel or stumble over detail, and just a few little things anyone familiar with Vegas might cringe at), I just can't wait for the next installment.

First Sentence: Bob Peterson scanned the track before him.

Charlotte Lyon may suffer from OCD, but she is an expert at crisis management. A train crash has resulted in the death of two people; the conductor, even though no cause of death is immediately apparent, and a woman who turns out to be a well-loved actress. In order to contain the crisis for the rail company, she has to know the cause of the accident and whether it was an accident.

Barbara Saranella's last book was the start of what would have been a wonderful series. The human elements in the story are so well done; Charlotte's OCD, relationship with her mother, possible romance, and handling of the crisis. I learned a lot about trains and was never bored by it. There were a couple, small weaknesses in the plot, but the story definitely held me all the way through. In some ways, I like the character better than Munch and am very sorry we've lost such a talented author.

Having read and enjoyed the Munch Mancini series, I was disappointed by the weakness of this book. I agree with other reviewers that the premise of a PR person with OCD has great possibilities. Surprisingly, though, the writing was in many ways like that of a new author - many awkward bits, where, as a reader, I wanted to edit/rewrite. I'm not sure why this happened with an experienced author unless, maybe, she was ill and wanted to finish quickly. In any event, it is sad to know that she will not be able to continue this series.

Deadman's Switch is one of the best murder mysteries I've read all year. Seranella creates an engaging heroine with OCD (did she know about the Monk television series?) who functions best amidst others' crises. Hired to manage a specialty train's derailment, she digs deeply into the mechanics of trains. She combines her PR knowhow with her unique specialty of crisis management.

The book's plot and pacing are superb. The end might follow mystery conventions a little more closely than some readers will like but is ultimately realistic and satisfying.

As a special treat, readers will learn a great deal about trains and about the world of public relations.

I must admit I got totally involved. I found myself enjoying the story and wanting to learn more about the characters. Not being familiar with Munch Mancini, I checked the back flap and was horrified to learn there will be no sequel. The author's untimely death will leave readers wondering how the characters would have developed in future. That's the only bad part of reading this book.

I enjoyed reading from the late Ms. Seranella's Munch Mancini titles. Charlotte Lyon, the main character her new projected mystery series, is likewise a resilient, flawed, but sympathetic lady. Charlotte, 33 and a widow, operates a crisis management consultant business in California. She's good at what she does, and commands top dollar doing it.

In this case, Charlotte is hired by Sun Rail after their train derails under suspicious circumstances. During Charlotte's subsequent dogged investigation, we learn lots of cool details on trains and railroads. Interestingly, what emerges is Charlotte's forceful personality and her somewhat chaotic personal life.

Saddled with an OCD like TV's Adrian MONK, Charlotte learns to channel her energies and phobias to do good. She cultivates a budding romance with Todd Hannigan, a NTSB investigator, and reconciles with a difficult mother. The proper elements, then, are successfully established to grow a new, winning series. That fact alone captures my first vote.

However, sadly Ms. Seranella passed away on Jan. 21, 2007 while waiting for a new liver transplant, leaving behind her mysteries for her many reader fans.

I didn't realize that Barbara Seranella had passed away until I was 3/4 done with the book. The Munch Mancini series was very good and this series showed a lot of promise. Ms. Seranella will be missed in the crime fiction world.

I enjoyed the new character of Charlotte Lyon. A type-A OCD inflicted character is always interesting since they tend not to be cookie-cutter. **I absolutely adore Monk.** While the character was good and the plot was reasonably suspenseful, I felt much of the novel was bogged down in railroad technicalities that were a bit dry (except perhaps for railroad buffs).