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"Managing the design factory" provides an excellent set of practices which can improve your product development and optimize your product development on the dimension you want it to. It provided me with key insights and fresh ideas on how to think about product development.

The book consists of four parts. The first part is a general introduction to product development and clarifies some assumptions made in the rest of the book. The second part is a set of thinking tools for product development. The third part provides concrete practices, called action tools. The last part summerizes the rest of the book and suggests actions to take.

The thinking tools in the second part are key-insights in product development. The first thinking tool is to try to think of product development economically. This also provides four ways to optimize your product development: lowest expense, lowest unit cost, highest performance and shortest time. In the rest of the book Reinertsen uses these four optimizations to show how each action tool will need to be used differently. The second thinking tool is queueing theory. It provides a view of product development as a series of queues. Managing the product development queues becomes essential. The third thinking tool is information theory. What is the value of information and how to optimize for the value. The last thinking tool is systems theory. Think of whole product development as systems, look for feedback loops and look for assumptions behind your current thinking. The thinking tools were the most interesting part of the book (in my opinion) and I thoroughly enjoyed any of these chapters.

The actions tools in part three provide concrete things to do in your product development. This part will use the thinking tools provided in part two to explain the action and also explain how they are different in the different optimizations. The tools were clear and useful. The only criticism could be that there is some duplication between "Developing products in half the time", but that was expected. Also, the tools are just introduced in one chapter and most of them could have filled a book on its own.

Conclusion. "Managing the design factory" is an excellent book on product development and provides key-insights and tools for looking at product development. I would recommend it for anyone who is involved in product development.

If you're looking for a book to arm you with the latest buzzwords and easy answers, this is not for you. If you're looking for a useful framework for thinking about product design and tools for applying principles, this is an excellent buy. This book is clearly written, well-organized, and full of useful information.

Unlike many management books, it's not 20 pages of information stretched out to 200 pages in order to make a book. Also, unlike most product development books, this book is of great value not just to product managers and designers, but would be a great read for financial managers and marketing managers. A manufacturing manager reading this book will smile with satisfaction at seeing common modern manufacturing principles well applied to the design realm.

The only weak points I can think of are: 1) That it may be useful for the author to break out case studies rather than keeping them in the same typeface intermingled with the rest of the text. 2) No real advice is given on how to overcome real-world resistance to these ideas. Some sage advice on how to introduce these concepts and tools into organizations with existing biases and cultures could be a real benefit to practitioners. These are minor objections though.

Whether you're in a software start-up or part of a Fortune 500 company design team doing existing product improvement, this book contains useful information that will enhance your understanding of what you're doing right and what you could do better - and WHY!

I don't think they use the word agility once, but this book clearly enunciates all of the reasons that agile processes often show success, without prescribing a specific set of items to do. This book will enable managers of development teams to look at the product they're building, its impact on the business's bottom line, and make both long-term and daily decisions about how to run their team. Individual developers will also gain an understanding of how to better streamline processes -- for instance, people often think that introducing large processes to "prevent an error from happening again" is a good idea. However, this book will help you to learn why that can be bad; that it can introduce queues and actually result in a process slowdown, especially if it happens early in the development process and on the critical path.

I just can't say enough about this book; some other specific books on Agile software development are helpful to give you ideas of specific things to do, but this book is absolutely crucial to learn and use in your daily decision-making process.

I have never seen so much good advice about product development in one place. Applying concepts from manufacturing, finance, queuing theory and communications theory, Reinertsen proposes many ways in which we can design better processes for development.

For example, if we were to view the investment in design work as a depreciating asset, like work-in-process inventory in the factory, we would be able to make better decisions about time, manpower, and project delay tradeoffs.

Key concepts include: valuing design work based on its financial impact on the organization; learning as much as possible as early as possible in the development cycle; managing queues in the development process; creating specifications which are flexible for as long as possible, so that evolving customer requirements can be accommodated.

He clearly shows that we can optimize development work on only one of the following parameters: Product cost, product performance, speed of development, development expense. The approach for each one is different, and it is important to be clear which one is primary.

There is a wealth of useful and practical advice in this book. For example, here are some comments on testing:

"Too often testing is viewed as a necessary evil in the development process. It only exists because we make mistakes. If we made fewer mistakes, we would not need to do all this testing. We should spend our money on `designing in quality' instead of finding defects by testing. The result of such an attitude may be a test department that is under-resourced and under-managed. Unfortunately, by viewing testing as a problem, rather than an asset, we miss the opportunity to capitalize on the extraordinary improvements that can take place in product testing.
"Let us start by putting testing in perspective. The elapsed schedule time for product testing is typically 30 to 60 percent of overall development cycle length. This is not another minor activity, it is a major design activity. ... text results have inherently high information content. In fact, testing is usually the stage of design process that generates the greatest amount of information.... ...Most companies misunderstand the role of testing ... because they fail to distinguish between design testing and manufacturing testing. ... Manufacturing testing is done to identify defects in the manufacturing process. ... Design testing is done to generate information about the design. A good outcome is high information generation early in the design process. ... We want a failure rate close to 50 percent...." [pp 230-232]

I highly recommend this book to senior managers in product development, and their Marketing and Finance counterparts.

Reviewed by John Levy,
...

Managing the Design Factory; A Product Developer's Toolbox, by Donald G. Reinertsen, is an important book on how successful companies should develop new products. Many popular management books share some common themes such as; JIT, kanban, lean manufacturing, reducing WIP, quick turn times, low inventory. Unfortunately, the development process in most companies has been slow to apply these insights to their engineering and design practice. Reinertsen does a superb job of showing how this is done. The Design Factory exists for one purpose - the same as the manufacturing factory - to make a profit. The focus of the book is on tools, not rules and rituals. These are practical tools that account for varied situations. The information is presented in a form that an engineer can understand and appreciate, but without unnecessary difficulty. There are excellent sections on queue and information theory, and capacity utilization and batch size, and on eliminating useless controls. I agree completely with the `do it, try it, fix it' approach to development, and not being burdened with trying to make it right the first time. Every practicing design engineer should read this book.

Very simple and easy to follow recipes for the beginner to understand. Thanks for the great book!

We haven't had a "wheat substitute" aftertaste from Bette Hagman's recipes. Her books are the gold standard in living with wheat/gluten sensitivity, and she doesn't use just one substitute flour mix. Also she educates on Celiac disease and issues around wheat sensitivity that impresses my wife, who is an RN. My favorite RN states that Bette Hagman has done more for wheat sufferers than anyone else she knows of, medical or laymen.

I purchased this cook book as a gift for a friend who is restricted to a gluten-free diet. She is a fabulous cook and it has been a challenge finding creative ways to cook on her now, three year wheat-free diet. The cook book is a hit! JC is having a terrific time trying new gluten free recipes and her family has been the recipient of several gourmet meals found in the Gluten-Free Gourmet. The family is amazed how tasteful the meals are and the cook book has been an inspiration to them all. They often shop for gluten free products to be served up by their favorite gourmet cook, JC! A good find and a great gift. CJ

Thanks to Bette Hagman's clearly written, informative cookbooks, it is very easy to enjoy a gluten/wheat free lifestyle. This book is not only power packed with excellent recipes, but with tips on maintaining a gluten free lifestyle.

It makes me think of the spiritual, "Free At Last." A modified version for the Hagman books could be "Wheat free at last, wheat free at last..."

Thank you, Bette Hagman!

After going gluten free a year ago, I thought I'd never bake anything good again. But this book and its predecessor, The Gluten-free Gourmet, changed my mind! Because I'm also sugar free, baking is an extra large challenge. But these recipes along with xylitol sweetener have gotten me back in business. What a great find! Thanks, Bette!

As a psychotherapist, I was particularly interested in the psychological relationship between the two sides of the brain. This book provided an entirely new and incredibly thorough understanding of the cause of low self esteem, shame, and self-criticism, in addition to providing insight on how to heal from these things. This book is evidence-based, interesting, easy to read, even funny at parts.

Not only did I personally apply the techniques discussed, but I passed them onto my clients whose rate of improvement has since increased dramatically.

This book provides, more than any theory I have ever read about a complete explanation for psychological deficiency.

Alexei Lebedev wrote a very thoughtful review that I would like to respond to. First, the psychological ideas I present are built upon a large literature on cerebral laterality. In our laboratory at McLean Hospiital we have used placebo controlled studies to rule out the suggestion that very rightly concerns Mr. Lebedev. The glasses have been used also to predict which patients with severe depression will respond to transcranial magnetic stimulation over the left forehead. When I use the glasses in the office the way I describe in the book, then no doubt suggestion has some role, but there I am looking for a therapeutic response and am not conducting an experiment. As I reported, about a third of my patients have no response to the glasses, an other third had a mild response and the last group have rather profound responses along the mature/childish dichotomy. In our laboratory we have found that retesting subjects two times, a year apart, there was a very high correlation between trials. In the book, I describe patients who had the more dramatic responses. In patients who do not have responses, the findings from other patients can still be applied to them and can be very helpful in giving them a better concept of why they are suffering. That Mr. Lebedev did not have a profound response showing the mature/childish dichotomy is not surprising.

Mr. Lebedev's idea of blocking the ear is a good suggestion. I did not know when I wrote the book that Paul Green, Ph.D. had done considerable work using ear plugs to help patients with different conditions, and I have occassionally used them. The ears are not as strongly lateralized to the different hemispheres and the auditory ares are not as large as the visual areas, so auditory stimulation would not be expected to be as strong as visual stimulation. In my experience, I have found the visual stimulation to be much stronger in terms of eliciting different psychological responses.

I do not believe as my book led Mr. Lebedev understand that the visual information goes only to one side. Rather, we now have fMRI evidence showing that the glasses induce a large increase in brain blood flow in the opposite hemisphere. The lateralized glasses stimulate the opposite hemisphere as will contracting muscles on one side. Also I don't believe that the problems are "just in one hemisphere." Rather, from our EEG, evoke potential, and fMRI studies, and the psychological responses observed in placebo controlled studies, I believe that the glasses stimulate different sets of neural patterns that are associated in some way with the different hemispheres and with different psychological perspectives.

So I believe there is much science behind my hypothesis. A number of scientific papers from our laboratory are posted at SchifferMD.com. More importantly, I continue to find these ideas to be extremely helpful in my clinical practice.

Fredric Schiffer, M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor in Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School

This book is important. Take note.

The book explains who you are, no less. You are a rational person living side by side with SOMETHING.

That something is part hurt child, part wounded animal, part personality fragment. But it's there, with you at all time. String together all the occasions where you freaked out (it's the other side taking over), and you get the general idea. Quite a disturbed entity, eh?

Now, when the ground rules are set, we can proceed to heal that part of our brain, and rid ourselves of the burden of swimming upstream against its anguish and protests and fears. Be it the conventional EMDR psychotherapy procedue or the new age rebirthing technique, and certainly combined with a centering meditation like Zazen or SSY that stills the mind from unwanted thoughts - we can regain control on our lives and move on. And our cognition could flourish.

The unwanted train of thoughts, both it and its absence so lucidly defined in the first chapter of "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle, might be caused by not having completely wrestled control over our consciousness, our very fabric of existence, from the other hemisphere. Ending internal conflict will enable us to properly utilize associative thinking ("IQ"), the very development of which happened in order to compensate for our fuzzy and imperfect grasp on reality.

Since we share that grasp with another mind, which Schiffer found is an irrational and miserable mind.

(converseley, the more your thoughts are naturally under control, the less creative you are, many prodigees are like that).

I believe this book holds a large part of the key to happiness and to harmonious existence. Where thoughts are a way to relate to reality, and not a frantic and largely irrational attempt to interpret it.

A clear 5 stars. An outstanding book.

This method is probably one of the finest therapies I have been lucky enough to come across. Aside from the fact that the book is well written and easy to understand the concept is workable. From a clinical point of view the method is well researched but from a personal point of view the method is invaluable. There is a joke at the hospital that I worked at that the mental health doctors were as crazy as the patients but I think that in order to truly understand them you need to see the world through their eyes. Dr Schiffer seems to be able to do this. My father has severe depression and my brother Cerebal Palsy. So this book is not just professional but personal. I tried the glasses on my brother and for the first time I saw the difference. He is on occasion unable to control low-level fits. It took approx 30 secs for his brain to quiet itself and I also got to see a side of him I've never seen before. My brother has a genius IQ and two degrees and yet is unable to control his brain till now. He actually asked me for the glasses the other day when it flared again. Dr Schiffer you don't know me but thank-you from the bottom of my heart. You have helped me and my family. I hope that anyone that reads this book is helped as I have been.

The author's main theory is that psychological problems, such as anxiety or depression, can become internalized in just one hemisphere of the brain, with the other hemisphere remaining intact and normal. Sometimes, it's the left hemisphere that's damaged, sometimes it's the right.

Therapy consists of all the normal things psychotherapy consists of (talking, medicines), plus sessions with special goggles. These are googles where most of the surface is covered with tape, which allows visual information to only reach one hemisphere of the brain. The patients try on each pair of goggles and report their experiences. By "talking directly to the affected hemisphere", Mr. Schiffer helps his patients.

When I first read the book, I was very excited and immediately constructed a pair of goggles like Mr. Schiffer describes and tried them on. I watched TV with them, or just sat in one place. I could definitely feel some difference -- I felt a bit uneasy on one side. Then again, a similar effect occurs when you put your cell phone to your other ear. But nothing of the positive/negative or mature/childish effect described in the book.

What struck me about the book is the very unscientific approach of Mr. Schiffer. For example, a person will try on a pair of goggles and say "everything is gloomy". Mr. Schiffer will then say "try looking out the other side", which is not just an instruction to try the a pair of goggles, but also a psychological suggestion as well. The person then puts on the other goggles and proceeds to talk in a mature, optimistic way about the future. Doesn't Mr. Schiffer realize he's giving a suggestion to a person in a very receptive state?

Mr. Schiffer never addresses this obvious objection -- that it may be he who suggests to his patients what to do, by virtue of the fact that they're in a restrictive setting, by his expectation to see some difference. The metaphor suggested by the uneasy goggles is uneasy/comfortable, damaged/fixed, pessimistic/optimistic, weak/resourceful, sick/healthy.

In order for a psychotherapist to address one hemisphere, wouldn't it make more sense to plug the corresponding ear instead of taping off the visual field? Mr. Schiffer never does that when he has the patient try the goggles. Doesn't hearing with both ears stimulate both hemispheres equally?

So if Mr. Schiffer was not really "talking to the other hemisphere" as much as creating an idea in the patient's head that this was was being done, would it make any difference?

Any of Natalie Goldberg's books are to me the ones I grab when I need to be spurred on to put pen to paper. This one in particular is a terrific tool to writing a memior. Her prompts are practical and aside from being funny at times, she knows the needs of aspiring writers. And she never writes over my head. I think I have read every one of her books at least once and even her novel "Banana Rose" which was great summer reading.
Do you want to write about yourself and your life as a memory? Try Natalie.

of a wonderfully readable memoir: That's How the Light Gets In: Memoir of a Psychiatrist by Susan Rako, M.D. The title comes from a song by Leonard Cohen: "There is a crack, a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." Rako's book is remarkably candid, insightful, and gracefully written. It's a great read. The writing just flows.

This is classic Natalie Goldberg. I have read most of her work and was not disappointed by her latest look into the heart of writing...specifically a memoir. She is the kind of writer you can and must read over and over again, not only if you aspire to write, but if you aspire to live your life well.

Natalie Goldberg has done it again! As a teacher of fiction and memoir, I recommend this book to all memoir writers. Natalie has prompts that will intrigue and spur writers to put pen in hand or fingers to the keyboard.

By using these prompts, you can't do anything BUT write.

Catherine Alexander
Author and Instructor

This morning at 4:30 I turned on the light to read a few more pages of Old Friend From Far Away. I skipped toward the end and read about how at a celebration for the twentieth anniversary of Natalie's first book, a woman who took her writing class when she was a young student at an alternative school, stood up to speak. The woman told her story of how one Monday Natalie brought in a bushel of rich red apples she'd picked the day before at an orchard near the school. This was a family orchard where a month before the oldest son had been killed in a bizarre gun accident. The woman revealed that this young man had been her first love.

When I got to the part where the woman explained how Natalie's writing class gave her an avenue for expressing her suffering and grief, I found myself sobbing (in a good way) with recognition of the truth of her words.

After the woman finishes telling her story Natalie writes:

"It's a holy thing to be a writer. It is why you want to write your memoir: to remember all of it. The good and the bad. To trust your experience, to have confidence that your moments and the moments of others on this earth mattered... It is a great thing you are doing whatever it is you are remembering. You are saying that life--and its passing--have true value."

I hesitated to buy Old Friend From Far Away since I already have Natalie Goldberg's other enormously helpful writing books. But all the praise from other writers is well-deserved. Every page makes me want to click my heels with delight--even the pages that make me cry. I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

--Suza Francina, author, The New Yoga for People Over 50 and other books for people at midlife and older.

I had already purchased Leanne's Saving Dinner book and loved it. I got this to make having people over for holidays, get-togethers, etc easier.
It has. I dont exactly like all the recipes in it but it gives you great infomation, tips and timelines for making meals and memories. I liked the valentines day chocolate fest and the ideas for a grown-up b-day party. And Thanksgiving Day is not to be missed but you can get this off her website (at least you could for Nov.2007).

though I liked the few recipes I've tried, my kids aren't as crazy about them as I was. The idea of healthier menus was great, but in reality it doesn't always work. One book that I found that has holiday recipes, too, and a bunch of leftover recipes for all that turkey and ham afterwards is THE FRANTIC WOMAN'S GUIDE TO FEEDING FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

This is an easy to following guide, makes shopping so much easier and takes the guess work out of what ingredients are needed.

This is a great cookbook. It follows the same format as Saving Dinner. There are dinners typically associated with holidays (all sorts of holidays) in this cookbook. The recipes do not call for any strange ingredients and they are easy and come out with great results. This is a great cookbook and I'm glad I ordered it.

Enjoy.

Definately a kitchen staple! This covers you for more than Christmas... here comes your Valentines Day menu from the capable hand of Ely.
This is one of her champs. Those who have enjoyed her Thanksgiving menu online will find the recipes in this book, along with more! This is a great book for anyone who wants to WOW their company or family and make any day a holiday!

In her book, "The Spirits of Sexual Perversion", author Laneen Haniah presents various forms of dysfunctional sexuality, and the ways to conquer them. This book is a must read for those that are struggling to break free from the web of sexual addictions, as well as those that have family members or friends with the struggle. One of the aspects that I so appreciated about the book is that Laneen doesn't just describe the problems, she offers remedies and viable solutions. Buy this book for yourself, or for someone that you care about. You won't regret it!

O.K.

I have to admit I was a little skeptical about reading this book upon looking at the cover.

However, once I had opened the book and started reading, there was no turning back (I was completely drawn into it); the testimonies, personal experiences, and the break down of sexual occurrences that I had even experienced in my own life was a real eye opener to why things had not been working out for me with regard to relationships with others (not just my husband)......I trusted no one and because of this, life was just not worth living!!!

Thank God for the author who was bold enough to touch upon issues that are so hushed in the churches today......You've changed my life in a most positive way!!!

God bless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bluntly, this book (truly called of God) will only work for those who really want deliverance in the area of sexual perversion; and are willing (and wholly submitted) to allowing Min. Haniah to take them, step-by-step, through the deliverance/healing process! Based solely on the unadulterated and uncompromised Scriptures of the Bible, each anointed word shared by Min. Haniah is invoked by Holy Ghost-inspired revelation and personal experience of Christ's finished work on the Cross in her life, while serving as a floodlight to one's soul (mind, will and emotions) exposing what satan wants to keep hidden in darkness.

I, myself, an incest overcomer, have first-hand experience of God's matchless power behind this book as it was, in large part, a mighty tool used in the godly counseling I previously received from Min. Haniah. United with the Bible (the foremost Authority in all issues of life), prayer, and submission to her commanding, without concession (yet loving/encouraging) teaching, my deliverance is a manifested reality which, as an ordained minister, I now use to share with others who are bound as I lead them on their journey to becoming overcomers from the demonic spirits of sexual abuse and/or addiction in their lives. God wastes nothing as all things work together for good...!

To say "The Spirits of Sexual Perversion Handbook" is a provocative read is, by far, an understatement: It is a weapon...a spiritual weapon for spiritual warfare, which as you humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, will eradicate sexual sin from your life...and as you take authority, the lives of those in your future generations. The question now is, "How bad do you want it?".

"Sin is no longer your master...." Rom. 6:14

Minister Yvette S. Ellington

This book is awesome and a answer to my prayers. The author Laneen Haniah created a master pieces with direction from the Holy Spirit to send such an annointed Word of God to many of us who needs deliverance from Spirits of Sexual Perversion. As I was really disappointed with my husbands lust for porno and not knowing what else to do, I came accross this book which not only shed some light on my husband addiction, but also on some of my own issues that were in the dark. Laneen caught my attention and I felt a strong connection, when she opened up herself and explained her history.

If anyone of your are searching from answers, please stop and look no further. All of you answers are in this book, along with much prayer and sacrifice.

God Bless,

The Spirits of Sexual Perversion is an awesome, anointed read. Author Laneen Haniah, had to be intuned with God to get the revelation that she shares in this book.

Our church purchased this book for several women in our church, and they're recognizing strongholds, and have sought God for deliverance. They're also telling other women that they've come in contact with to purchase the book. I strongly recommend this book to any woman struggling with sexual issues, or baggage from the past.

I would like to thank Joseph Tomelleri for introducing me to Robert Behnke. Like most fly fishermen, I fish for trout, in large part, because they are so beautiful, and I bought this book for Tomelleri's exquisite illustrations of trout. My first hint that I might have blundered into something more that a great coffee table book was that the forward was written by Tom McGuane. McGuane is one of my favorite authors (most recently Gallatin Canyon: Stories).

Now, I must admit that I am usually skeptical of academics as authors, and Dr. Behnke is a professor emeritus at the University of Colorado. Unlike most of his colleagues, however, Dr. Behnke is able to write well. Consequently, the book is packed with a lot of readable information about trout. I am a Michigander so I knew that the first brown trout in North America were introduced into Baldwin Creek (Baldwin, MI); however, I was not aware of the genetic diversity of the American strain. I was also interested to find out that apparently genetically identical steelhead (anadromous) and rainbow (riparian) trout breed true.

Does all this new knowledge help me select the right fly or land a raging steelhead? No. But it certainly adds richness, clarity and depth to both experiences. And, Salmon and Trout of North America, itself, is richly illustrated and is clearly written in depth. All of that, and Tom McGuane, too. What a bargin!

Mac McCauley
Professor
Wayne State University

The discussion of geologic events by Dr. Behnke, which explain how certain fish species became dispersed is most interesting as well as fascinating.
The paintings of the various fishes by Joseph Tomellari are worth the price of the book alone. All presented on high quality print and paper.

Awesome book. The CSU professor is the best authority on trout & salmon. Period! Also best illustrations you will ever see by Joe Tomelleri. A must have book for any trout & salmon lover!

Wasn't sure this book was still in print and as usual, Amazon came through and I had my copy in 5 days. You can't beat the Amazon Customer Service, delivery, and follow-up, Regards, D.K.Madison

This book is a wonderful piece of work, with great illustrations of the various species of coldwater species found in North American waters. Behnke writes in great detail on the various species of trout, salmon, char, grayling, and a few other coldwater species, and includes much detail on sub-species distribution in a current and historical context, often down to the watershed. He also includes sub-species that have gone extinct in historical times. An excellent introduction discusses such topics as the origins and evolution of Salmonids, as well as their classification, taxonomy, biology, morphology, and anatomy.

The only mild criticism I have is that more could have been written on the distribution of brook trout sub-species in the Midwest and East, along with lake trout of the inland lakes of the Upper Midwest.

The book should be in the library of every serious trout or salmon angler.

I loved this book for what it taught me. It's almost like a riches to rags story. One who started the journey to faith with such strength and then fell on the way. This book is sad in the sense that the author who believed herself to be set free now is okay with homosexuality and has even embraced it. I feel sorry for her. She will be held accountable on that final day when she meets God.

This is an excellently written work that addresses the confusion and the struggle of being in a relationship with someone who is at odds with their own sexuality. To further complicate matters, this book tackles the issue of being deeply entrenched in Christian Fundamentalism while dealing with a spouse who is coming to terms with being gay. The author tells her story in a very open and personal way. It is written much like a novel or short story, yet it is powerfully "real". It is a book that you have a hard time putting down because you want to find out what happens next. Recommended reading for anyone who has a gay family member or friend who has come out after being married and having children.

I am living out the same experience as the author's and I was deeply moved by her story. It validated my own feelings and helped me to better understand the feelings of my gay ex-husband. I was touched to read that their friendship was sustained through it all and it gives me hope for the same. Any married couple dealing with this devastating situation should read her memoir.

A moving book, quite heart-rending at times. And yet frustrating as well. Too many pages are given to the crushing and authoritarian leaglism of their early faith which ultimately counts for nothing. As the doors of self- and God-understanding open, I yearned to know more to hear more of their internal transformation and the remarkable people who cross their paths--like Madelaine L'Engle. The climax of confrontation and decision was gripping but I sensed a gauzy filter descending thereafter, masking the grit required in reconsituting lives and relationships.

In a work of rare honesty and compassion, Sally Lowe Whitehead shares her heart with the reader. While focusing on the painful reality of discovering that her husband and the father of her children is gay, this work deals with much more. It is an honest and sometimes painful account of the author's coming to terms with a Church that is often unforgiving and unloving. Whitehead's journey toward faith and forgiveness is both moving and challenging to the reader. It is impossible to read her words and not re-evaluate one's own ideas and prejudices. The Truth Shall Set You Free is a work that is not only honest in its presentation, it is one that encourages the reader to equal honesty.

I first checked this book out of the library. I wasn't sure about it as I have had to really wade through quite a few books recently and didn't want to buy something that would put me to sleep. But I hadn't finished the introduction yet, and I knew I would be buying it. It's a fascinating book, and way overdue to be published! I wish everybody, but especially every woman, could read this book! There are so many interesting things in here, and no matter how much you think you know about feminism, freethought, etc, there is something new for you in this book. I have recommended it over and over again to my friends.

This thought provoking book is a compilation of views and lectures of historic, prominent and free thinking women. It is highly recommended for any open-minded person searching for answers free from the dogmas of the various religions. It is worth reading, even if not agreeing with authors' philosophies.

This is a phenominal, rich text that stirs the mind & imagination & creates a whole new sense of power & self-determination. It is also useful in the sense that it validates so many women who might feel marginalized by society. I love it!

I enjoyed this book. Not only is the story of atheism (and antitheism) difficult to find info on, but the story of female humans in atheism and science is also difficult to find info in.

This is one of the only books I have found that tells the stories of women in atheism. I would enjoy seeing a video on atheism, and also female humans in atheism and science. I would enjoy seeing, hearing and reading stories of humans that spoke out against religion and promoted science.

Finding images of these female humans is also difficult to do. This book includes humans I had never heard of, but also any body that did any thing for female human equality. For example, I was very glad to see a photo and data on Matilda Joslyn Gage, a person usually left out of women's history because of her anger with religion, and perhaps because of her sexuality.

My one criticism of this book is that the people are kind of tame (although being atheist is shocking for most humans). Where are the female humans in science...? Still, for one of the only books (or videos for that matter) on free thinking women (or women without superstition and substition!) I was glad and enjoyed every story!

Stop Violence, Teach Science!
Ted Huntington

I wish I had been given the chance to study this stuff in school. I spent a long time struggling with these ideas. If only I had access to this book at an earlier age. Great book, wonderful works by highly intelligent authors. Helped me to cast off my old doubts.

Al-Jazeera is the all-Arabic TV news channel which burst on to the international scene in the wake of September 11 and the war in Afghanistan. Its unfettered access to that country during the war and its showing of the bin Laden tapes made it an automatic force on the world stage.Based in the Gulf state of Qatar, it came from the remnants of the BBC Arabic TV service. With the help of startup money from the Emir of Qatar, Al-Jazeera was to have complete editorial independence.In a part of the world where the press is usually government controlled, Al-Jazeera is not afraid to get specific and name names. At one time or another, it has been criticized or condemned by seemingly every government in the Arab world, for broadcasting things that the local government would prefer not be broadcast. Every local editorial of condemnation and every denial of press credentials to Al-Jazeera reporters just increases its audience all over the world by satellite.One of the things that Al-Jazeera is most known for is its talk shows, especially a nightly, two-hour show called The Opposite Direction. Two guests appear on the show, with totally opposite opinions on a certain issue, and with help from live phone calls, the sparks fly. Even by American TV standards, things get pretty loud and lively. Arab governments have noticed, and have begun imitating the format on their tame and boring government TV channels.Even though Al-Jazeera is an Arab TV channel, it has tried very hard to be impartial, hosting members of the Bush Administration, after September 11, and government officials from Israel.For those who want to decide for themselves if Al-Jazeera is a legitimate news broadcaster or a terrorist mouthpiece, this book is highly recommended. It's comprehensive, clearly written and is quite enlightening.

All the reviews I've read for this book have been unequivocally complimentary. One newspaper said it should be required reading for Bush's entire cabinet! Quite bold, but rightly so. After reading this book, I came to the realization that everything Al-Jazeera is courageous enough to air, my own country's media is petrified of. I wonder why our government is so afraid of a democratic Arab world? While the dozens of titles coming out on the Middle East are regurgitating the same history and concepts, this book is a refreshing new look at a MODERN Middle East, not a primitive and orientalized one.

This is a great book and I highly recommend it for everyone striving to know about the Arab media from an objective perspective. The book will inform you about the Arabs' struggle for freedom of speech through an unbiased Arab network that is not subject to the control of any government. The authors have succesfully portrayed the true picture of the Arab media scene through Arab eyes.

Collaboratively written by Egyptian born Middle East journalist Mohammed El-Nawawy and Middle East media expert Adel Iskandar, Al-Jazeera: How The Free Arab News Network Scooped The World And Changed The Middle East is a fascinating and informed history. This is a superbly presented account of Al-Jazeera, a modern, independent, entirely Arab television news network based in Qatar, which since the September 11 attacks, gained high profile prominence through daily exposure on CNN. This is also the compelling story of Al-Jazeera's struggle to keep its independence as an international news network, beholden to none. Overall, Al-Jazeera is an engaging, unique, detailed study of the origin of the Al-Jazeera network, its broadcasts, its effect on Arab viewers, and its struggle for a free press. Al-Jazeera is very highly recommended for Journalism Studies and Mideast Studies supplemental reading lists and academic reference collections.

Al Jazeera is giving us a vivid and moving picture of a New Arab World in the making. There is no way to go back in times. This media channel is succeeding to keep one step ahead of many others advancing, foreign or local, TVs.
Live transmissions are notably courageous in their way struggling so hard to persuade local (and influential) governments to let them work into the `heart' of the stories being anchored, against the background of petty local political bickering and futility.
It is not easy, but the beauty about it is that it is also challenging, and a source of pride to millions of Arabs