Consultants Books

I love the Bombshell line and Michele Hauf is one of my favorite authors!

The premise is good. When Rachel Anderson was a teenager on the run from the last of several foster homes she's been in since her parents left her an orphan when she meets with Christian who whisks her off to France and a new life. There he moulds her into a thief, a thief under his control. However she takes an opportunity to escape and tries to find her own life. Using the skills he trained for as a security consultant.

Then a job goes wrong and brings her back to France following a jewel. Then she finds out that she never was really independent of Christian. Who can she trust and can he master her again?

Although it's an interesting premise it just didn't flow for me, I kept being jarred out of the story and my eyebrow spent a fair amount of time near my hairline as one more unbelievable thing happened. While I've given it a 3* rating it's a low three stars, readable but not great.

This is probably one of the most unusual romance books I've ever read and I mean that in a good way. You won't find a virginal and innocent heroine within these pages. And you won't find an honest and selfless hero ready to sweep her off her feet. What you will find is an unusual woman named Rachel. At the age of 14, Rachel ran away from her last of many foster homes toward what she believed was her savior. Instead, Christian Lazar took away any remnants of her childhood, any joy, any pleasure out of life and turned her into a deadly weapon, an expert thief, or a machine as he called her.

Ten years later, Rachel finally jumps at a desperate chance to escape and creates a new life for herself in the U.S. She lives in relative solitude, learning how to live her life away from the man she had loved and hated for years. While working as a security expert for a museum, an expensive ruby is stolen and Rachel chases after the thief before she herself is blamed for its loss and her new life is ruined. While struggling to recover the ruby, Rachel must confront Lazar and reclaim some sort of peace for her life. In a moment of desperation, she turns to the only man she has ever kissed, a master thief named Jason. For Rachel, any intimacy is new after a childhood where sex was a tool and love was a prison. They've both lived hard lives and their romance isn't cute or funny. It's a fascinating struggle between two seemingly tough but vulnerable people whose feelings for the other run very deep.

Once a Thief certainly isn't your typical romance. It's better.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

*Note: this review is of the audio download version, but except for one paragraph, can pertain to any version.*

A life of crime has prepared Rachel Blu for all possibilities, except one... being framed for a crime she did not commit. How is a girl to get through it when she's not sure who to trust?

Rachel Blu Anderson has escaped the thief's world, yet it provided her with talents unique in her chosen field of... security expert? She helps people assess their security systems by breaking in to find their weak spots. She is on a job for a Midwest museum when she actually interrupts a real burglary in action. Now she is chasing a thief across the ocean to France to regain the multimillion dollar ruby she was supposed to prevent being stolen!

Her arrival in France throws her right back in to the clutches of the one man she thought she had escaped... and presumed to be dead! Christian Lazar is a mastermind, who was once Rachel's partner, teacher, lover. He had trained her to be a ruthless machine, a cunning thief, using all manner of methods to train her, some which were torturous. Thrown back in to the life she detested, her only chance to regain the priceless gem, clear her name, and escape Christian once more is to turn the tables on him, and prove that now she is the master!

Michele Hauf has written a tense thriller with Once a Thief. The action is non stop throughout the entire novel, providing many taut, suspense-filled moments. We are given a glimpse in to a society many of us can't even begin to imagine, as secrets are revealed about the tight-knit yet highly competitive ring of thieves where members will guard others with their lives, only to turn around and stab them in the back the next moment. Rachel's shock at learning about "The Network" sets the precedent for more stories to follow about this intriguing but dangerous world.

This novel is by no means easily classified as a romance, though it does have some leanings in that direction by the end of the story. Rachel is one tough broad without being a bitch, who can seduce the unwary with one move or dish out a beating one won't soon forget. On the flip side, these very same things can happen to her, and do, more than once. She may pack a healthy punch, but she receives far more than her share in some fast paced fight scenes. Sydney Bristow move over, Rachel Blu is on the job.

I've never listened to an audio book performed by Debbie Irwin before, so was pleasantly surprised at her skill. She has the coveted talent of story-telling down to an art. She knows just when to draw out the lines for maximum shock value and when to speed them up to match the hurtling pace of the action she's portraying with her voice. There was never any doubt as to who was speaking when, for Debbie Irwin makes each character distinct enough to follow along, even when several are involved in one scene. I look forward to listening to more narrations she's performed.

In short, whether reading for yourself, or following along with the narrator, Once a Thief is full of pulse pounding adventure sure to get the adrenalin pumping and leave readers eager for more exciting tales from author Michele Hauf.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, June 2006. All rights reserved.

I usually like these sort of stories.. Kick butt female hero confronts the world. But I confess Rachel Blu left me cold. As a heroine I just had no empathy for her. I know she was raised to be an uber-thief, have no emotions, be self-sufficient etc. But somehow all this training left me with a heroine I just didn't care about. Likewise I'm not a big fan of stories involving thievery an occupation. Perhaps if Blu had been several years into her new career and developed some humanity I could be interested in her. But, her lack of emotional development, actual age, and inexperience in human relations made her sexual encounters uninteresting and virginal.

I do think Hauf's writing is technically quite good. She does a great job with description and plot... But her characters seem to be emotionless mannequins, of the James Bond variety.

2 Stars.

It was the perfect reference guide for my consulting innterviews- especially the guesstimate questions. Also, a great companion to the Vault.com Guide to Consulting!

This is an excellent book for undergraduates who are looking to prepare themselves for an interview in consulting or finance. I took account a couple years ago and didn't remember everything about it. But this book gives a good review of all the necessary topics that would be needed during an interview. It covers business strategy technics, marketing strategies, and finance related topics. While the review covers half of the book, another tenth is focused on some real interviews from MBA students or other companies. Another quarter is actual case interviews. The author does go through on how to answer these cases. However, the maximum length give to each case was 2 pages. To me, that was not nearly enough for a case. And also, there are only about 15 real cases, there are about 15 practice ones. The last 15 percent is dedicated to guesstimates and brainteasers.

So overall, it's a good book; however, I wish there were more cases.

This book is poorly written, inconsistent, and not very helpful. It's also very overpriced. You might have better luck with another guide (Wetfeet.com). But avoid this as it's a waste of money and time.

Thanks Vault,

I would make sure to get the updated addition:

Vault.com Guide to Case Interviews, 3rd Edition by Mark Asher (Paperback - September 2000)

This book has some really good explanations of the case interview format, pointers on conduct and overviews of frameworks. However, it had some really bad case examples. The sample solutions given did not seem to follow the clean logical and analytical approach that Wet Feet Press' "15 Cases" displayed for their sample responses. In fact, the answers given in this book are a good example of what to avoid: a lot of flair and big words and not a whole lot of case-solving.

I thought ace your case was a practical guide and helps relax you a little for your interview. Also try the Vault Guide to the Case Interview and the harvard guide to consulting. Good luck.

This guide has several good frameworks for attacking a case interview and some good examples. Also recommended: The Vault Guide to the Case Interview and the Vault Guide to the Top 50 Consulting Firms.

I found this report was disappointing and out of date. A more useful report on case interviews is the Vault.com 2002 Guide to the Case Interview or the harvard guide to consulting.

While this guide may have once been useful, in my opinion it has
become out of date. In my experience consulting firms have recently
dramatically changed the format of case interview questions and more
recent reflection of the new trends in case interviewing can be better
found...

if you dont have much preparation time. While it provided a great overview of the interview process, I thought the frameworks were a bit over-simplified for MBA interviews. It definitely helped me relax before my interview and it was easy to read on the flight, but I thought the stuff available for free on vault.com was much more useful. If you have time to really prepare properly save your money and dont bother with this one.

more useful and third party information in the vault guide

Good guide, but the Vault guide to consulting firms is significantly superior in my opinion.

Provides a cursory look at a consultant's life and some of the companies one would normally consider, along with many smaller companies that many people wouldn't have access to. Better information is likely available elsewhere, including the Internet and other publications.

This book asks each of the top consulting firms to answer a set of questions about what their firm is like. As expected, the answers are biased, but still helpful. For a more unbiased insider's view of each firm also try the Vault Guide to the Top 50 Consulting Firms, which also ranks the leading consulting firms based on a national reputation survey.

In my opinion there is more and better objective information on consulting careers in the Vault Career Guide to the Top 50 Consulting Firms and in the Vault Guide to Case Interviews, which have the added benefit of being able to be purchased on vault.com and downloaded immediately. Good luck.

As an Art Manager, I have been wanting to get the information found in Zella's book for years. The Art of Selling Art is not just another good book - it is one of those rare and valuable books that I will keep, read often, and recommend to anyone in the art business. It comes as close as anything so far to defining the real character of creatively selling art in today's world. I can't help but think it should be necessary reading for ALL of us in the business!
Dawn Spears
Art Manager

The funny thing about customer reviews is you never know if they are written by a competitor or someone with a personal vendetta - especially the anonymous ones. The last reviewer admitted that he did not even read the book! Well, I have read the book, and use the information all the time in my business- it is not just for art. I attribute a large part of the success of my business directly to Zella. The fact is, this book has launched more art sales careers in the last 25 years than probably any other. I work with hundreds of art consultants as a supplier of art software, and I can tell you that many people attribute at least part of their success to The Art of Selling Art and Zella Jackson. You don't have to believe me, just ask around at any art gallery for yourself. Yes, some people don't believe in her sales philosophy, but many others follow it like a religion. You will never find a sales program that everyone agrees with all the time, but that is because sales are half art, half science - it is open to everyone's personal opinion and experience. The fact is, the information in this book is too valuable to pass up, and has very well stood the test of time.
Doug Spinn,
President
Spinnsoft, Inc

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I wish I had heeded the advice of the previous reviewer because this book was absolutely a waste of time and money. The contents are just as cheesy as the title and I never found an ounce of "insight" in the entire book.

After reading this book I would avoid all books by this author and this publisher. The book reads as if it were written from start to finish in one sitting--as if the author were jotting a causal letter to a friend. It is unbelievable that an editor did not correct the numerous typos, grammatical errors and weak sentences in this text. In addition, the book is completing lacking in factual data and has very little insight to the art business. Almost any sales person from almost any field could have written this book.

Chris Johnson
Owner
Johnsonese Gallery
Chicago, IL

I received this book after about 2.5 months. I was eagerly awaiting its arrival. I figured the hefty price for the book was warranted because it MUST contain valuable information that I don't already have. I was mistaken. This book contains a series of scripts, that in this reader's opinion, are not something I would say to any of my clients. I am about half way finished with this book and I'm still looking for the nugget of information that would make this purchase worthwhile. If I don't locate it, the book is going back to Amazon.com. Don't waste your time or money on this one.

I have to say I was extremely disappointed when I received this book. It is anecdotal and appears to be photocopied and bound at a Kinkos. It is not 'instructional'. Reading it is like listening to your uncle rant about the few real estate deals he once closed.

"Drive around the property before buying it." and templates of lists of questions to ask real estate agents (such as "has the property been inspected?") and other useless and frustrating text left me with a bad taste in my mouth regarding this purchase.

Buyer beware.

I give this one star only because Amazon does not provide an option for a lower rating. It was a TOTAL waste of money for me. Nothing but a bunch of feel-good anecdotes about how this guy made a lot of money years ago. I wanted something to tell me how to close a deal to buy a shopping center and to manage that property after that. This was one of the get-rich-quick lectures of no help whatsoever.

I am relatively new to the commercial real estate industry, having purchased my first commercial lot just a few years ago. I was looking to increase my knowledge and learn from others mistakes so I wouldn't have to find out what works and what doesn't the hard way. Overall the book had some good concepts, nothing great. The book looks as if the author just used a generic image from Microsoft Word and printed it out at home. I've prepared better-looking papers in college. If you are interested in the real estate industry try looking somewhere else. I think friends of the author must have written the other reviews.

The inexperienced, as well as the very experienced may not appreciate the full benefit of this book. I feel the review criticizing the book and Amazon is a serious deterrent to others who wish to get started and make money in this field. As a beginner and after speaking with a professional developer and real estate person to whom I loaned the book, I found it extremely interesting and felt it contained many novel ways to make money with little or no risk capital. Those opinions were good enough for me. The book is constructed in an antidotal form to avoid giving the reader direct advice. There is no formula, exact method or given format in real estate investments. It is a creative field and without an optimistic personal outlook, it becomes obvious that any person with a negative and 'sour grapes' attitude would not be able to digest the material. Without this book, I never would have taken those first steps into what has become an interesting and profitable field. I highly recommend it to the expert as well as the layman. Any one suggestion can make thousands and thousands of dollars.

My goal is to be conversant with commercial real estate purchases and sales. The book outlines those formulas that makes it all clear and easy to follow when it comes to 'how to do it.' As far as I'm concerned, it turned a complex field into something I can understand and relate to as a novice. I never thought working in the commercial area of real estate could be made simple, but these methods clearly set forth all the elements needed to do it. It appears the results should be very gratifying indeed. Anyone who invests or intends to invest in real estate should read and re-read how it's done by another successful investor willing to share his knowledge.

Before Midnight Louie I had never read one single mystery. Then I got a cat named Louie, (most unlike the Midnight P.I.) but went off on a tear with these books. I happen to be getting very aware of the sanctuaries devoted to caring for abused, abandoned and neglected big cats, so this one had to be read out of order. She does a very creditable job describing the true plight of the big cats in horrible situations while somehow allowing Louie to lose none of his charm and swagger. Oh, yes, the human characters are interesting too! May help if you've visited Las Vegas, but not strictly necessary, her (and Louie's) descriptions are great.

This is the first book I've read in this series. Now I'm hooked. I want to read everything else that was ever written by Carole Nelson Douglas. Every minute of reading this book was pure pleasure. I highly recommend this book.

I would write just one star only I have a lingering affection for the first of the Irene Adler book and because, well, if she is anything Carole Nelson Douglas is a lady, and I am a gentleman deep down at heart. But someone ought to whisper in her ear that America's appetite for cat mysteries is being toyed with seriously by her MIDNIGHT LOUIE series and, I predict, will soon come to a shuddering halt if she does not refrain.

Going on in this manner is sheer punishment to a loyal readership which has seen Ms. Nelson Douglas through thick and thin. But such goings on cannot be permitted. There are a few good funny lines here and there, but nowhere near 20 dollars worth so itr's a case for the Better Business Bureau too as well as for the ASPCA. I also liked the Chicago interlude, though the means we took to get there were as far-fetched as the flying carpet that transports Sabu through the skies in the old Thief of Bagdad.

Give it up and go back to what you do best. Give us a story with heart, not just claws.

Except for two things - I gave up on Irene Adler when I read that Chapel Noir was volume one and Chapel Rouge volume two. I feared more Chapels. I do keep reading Midnight Louie's adventures but the later ones aren't as much fun as the early ones. If I'd have known I would have to read 27 books, I would never have picked up Blue Monday.

I've read every Midnight Louis book to date, but I probably won't finish this one. For starters, it meanders in and out of the characters' brains, probing, ad nauseum, their unresolved doubts and fears. If you haven't read the other books in the series, I have no idea how you'll catch on to what is happening in this one. What's more, why would you care? None of these people are appealing, as they were in earlier books. The first few chapters are maudlin and the mystery is boring. I get the impression the author is treading water with the book's plot in order to keep the series' plot alive. At this point they both look half-drowned to me. Add to that the incessant similes and metaphors that are becoming extremely annoying and you have a book that is hard to pick up and easy to put down. I loved the Irene Adler series and I enjoyed the early Midnight Louis books, but Cat in a Leopard Spot is too irritating for words.

Once again Carole Nelson Douglas has written another wonderful continuation for the Midnight Louie series. I have loved this series from the first time I read Catnap and It gets better with each book. I'm sure we all feel for Mister Matt Devine now that Temple Barr is back together with the "Mystifying Max". and poor Louie!!! He has some luck with the ladies of the feline purrsuasion. All I have to say is, Carole Nelson Douglas, Keep up the AWESOME work.

I simply did not understand the story. I had to force myself to continue to read and when I was finally finished - I could hardly believe it. I felt cheated and betrayed. I could hardly understand what had happened and could not figure out the ending. Was the mystery solved? Who was the killer? I could only guess. So I visited this site to read other people's review and was stunned to find to find that the average rate was 5 stars! They must be loyal to the author or be crazy about anything that has to do with cats. Or I must be from Mars. I love books and I love mysteries - but this is the worst mystery I have ever read. Perhaps the author should consider another genre of writing. I feel bad giving a bad review but want to warn others not to read this book.

I've read all books in the series (which I'm normally fond of), but this one was just a little too overloaded with characters, plots, and angst. I didn't really care about the too out-there Shangri-la villianess or her cat, and I was annoyed with the heroine Temple (who actually seemed to be more in the background). I think Ms. Douglas does a much better job juggling a complicated storyline in the next book, Cat in an Indigo Mood.

I've read all of the first nine books, except for the first and they are absolutley incredible!. I just ordered the first one and I'm getting ready to order the tenth one INDIGO MOOD. The books are fast paced and very exciting, I read 8 of the books in just two weeks, I couldn't put them down! Cat on a Hycanith Hunt was one of my favorites in the series. If you're looking for a good read, these are definitly it!

Midnight Louie is upset because he suddenly has stiff competition for the affections of his human pet, Las Vegas publicist Temple Barr. To Louie's dismay, Temple has resumed her romantic relationship with master magician Max Kinsella, who lives in a James Bond-like world. Louie has no intention of sharing his "doll with anyone"; but Temple does not notice his displeasure.

Accompanied by his offspring, Midnight Louise, Louie returns to his former home, the Oasis Hotel, for a bit of rest and relaxation. However, the feline discovers the body of the odious Effinger, whose corpse is wrapped like a mummy.Effinger is the heavy-handed stepfather of Matt Devine, a former priest and questionable third wheel in the Barr-Kinsella romance. Only a few days ago, Effinger beat up Temple as a warning to his stepson to stay out of his life. However the death of the mean spirited person does not end the danger to Louie and his associates, especially Temple and her two male companions. It is only the opening gambit.

CAT ON A HYACINTH HUNT is the ninth entry in the Midnight Louie cat series and surprisingly the book retains the fresh and exciting perspective of its forerunners. The mystery remains first rate while the romantic triangle (or is that rectangle with Louie being the other corner) has become more complex and interesting. The brilliantly talented Carole Nelson Douglas has set in motion story line twists leading the series in a new direction that is sure to surprise yet please Louie's biggest fans.

Harriet Klausner

This is probably one of the best business (read: practitioner oriented) statistics books in the market. While covering a broad range of topics taking the reader from (introductory) descriptive statistics to (rather advanced) inferential statistics (hypothesis testing, etc.), it does so in a manner very easy to understand. This is not to say that you do not have to work your way: this is not a statistics cookbook but a solid reference to the "hows" and "whys" of statistics. Make sure you work along and you'll pretty soon have a very good grasp of the essentials.

Usual stats book, organized similarly to others. It incorporates use of excel templates via the chapters, problems and CD. Some are useful but some are cumbersome and the author puts too much emphasis on them as a tool. Some give an incorrect output. Found an error in a basic formula in the text, this should be corrected.
Overall is an average stats book and overpriced for its value.

Dr. Jayavel Sounderpandian is my current professor at UW-Parkside for Business Statistics II (QM 211). He is an excellent instructor, and his book mirrors this.

In class, we always joke about how "he wrote the book."

This was a text book for my class, so I really did not have a choice. There was alot of jibberjabbering exmaples. I am a start to the point person who like theory then applications, but this books places stuff all oevr the place.
I gave it three stars, since I have seen dmuch worse texts on Stats.

Hi there,

I paid around $ 140 for this book and i was expecting this to be a brand new book. I received this book today and looking along the top on every page, they look a bit discoloured.

Either this book is new and it was left in unclean surrounding OR this book is not new.

I am not being fussy about this book, this book is readable, it is just that after paying that kind of money for a book i was personally expect it to be brand new. The feel and smell of a new book is different, if you know what i mean.


I dont know how it works here on Amazon, but this is the first time, i was a little dissappointed especially when i was looking forward so much for this book.

Name of the book is - Complete business statistics by Amir D Aczel.

Martin's book provides an entry level overview of the complexities required to make a transition from conventional therapy to the more "bottom line" world of business. Martin illustrates the application of traditional therapy based skills but provides only a cursory view of real-time business issues - particularly as those issues apply to firms of more moderate size. There are also several instances in which Ms. Martin utilizes scenarios in which there appears to be clear "client/therapist - consultant/therapist" conflicts. Yet, she offers no hint of how these issues are addressed or resolved.

Martin's book is enjoyable introductory reading that needs to provide more substance if it is to have significant impact.

Best book i've ever read detailing how psychology has transformed corporations across the globe. I loved the case studies of the crazy CEOs the best! It is all the rave of London.

Ms. Martin seems to be knowledgeable on the subject & takes many oportunities to sing her own praises. I wish she would've spent more time pointing reader into the direction of helpful resources, people, references, etc. I finished the text feeling I had lots of good ideas, but no where to go for further support and information. Finally, compared to other similar books, the purchase price of the book is extremely high. (Maybe she needs to help pay for all those houses she owns :-) )

Martin presents an interesting outline of how to take psychological therapy skills into the corporate environment. If you're a therapist considering taking on corporate clients for either mentoring or marketing work, this book is a must. Note, Martin assumes psychotherapy expertise. Her focus is on how to transfer it. She doesn't cover what techniques are useful in helping corportions, except incidentally.

I read this book a while ago, after seeing an full-page ad in the Family Therapy Networker. I was favorably enough impressed with the book to call Iris Martin to inquire about her seminars, and spoke with her directly. I was sent flyers (which is good) in which there were testimonials. So I called some people listed, to find out how "competent" the seminars were. I spoke with three people (I don't have names), all of whom had taken the year long seminars, none of whom would recommend her. I decided to skip the workshops.
So, the book is OK as a coaching manual. It's a good introduction to coaching--probably as much as any book can be. Just don't expect the book to replace appropriate training, or to serve as a training manual.