History Books

If you're into winning any sort of competition, not just warfare, this is an excellent book to read, concise and to the point. You can read it in a few hours and be forever changed by it. My only criticism is that, judging from the endnotes, it leans a bit too much on Carl von Clausewitz and too little on modern thinkers such as John Boyd, a USAF fighter pilot whose impact on Marine Corps tactics is considerable and widely acknowledged. As the disasters of subsequent German history would demonstrate, war is not, as Clausewitz believed, diplomacy taken to a new level. Wars are much more costly and difficult to extract oneself from than a conference in Geneva.

Also keep in mind that it's not enough to win a war. You also need to win the peace that follows. During World War I and for several years afterward there was a fierce debate over how to make a peace that would last. Pacifists thought the world would come to learn that wars don't pay, an idea so absurd no one mentions it today. Internationalists thought the League of Nations could keep the peace, even though it soon failed its first test, a war between Poland and Russia that immediately followed the war. Militarists, a group little seen immediately after such a bloody war, continued to insist on the importance of bigger and bigger battleships. Even Churchill, although he later regretted it, thought for a time that disarmament would work.

In retrospect, there was only a few who got it right and the one who got it right the best was a popular English writer, G. K. Chesterton. In 1932 he would warn that Germany was going to find itself a dictator and that the next war would break out over a border dispute between Germany and Poland, precisely what happened in 1939.

If you want to win a war, read this book. If you want to learn how one war can be used to prevent the next war, read Chesterton, who bluntly wrote in 1917 that, "Peace without victory is war without excuse." Chesterton also gave some of the most telling arguments against pacifism ever put into print, noting that: "the real point against the cause of Pacifism is that it is not a cause at all, but only a weakening of all causes. It does not announce any aim; it only announces that it will never use certain means in pursuing any aim. It does not define its goal; it only defines a stopping-place, beyond which nobody must go in the search for any goal."

--Michael W. Perry, Editor of Chesterton on War and Peace: Battling the Ideas and Movements that Led to Nazism and World War II

Elegant in its simplicity, powerful and profound in its application -- this is a superb, practical primer on leadership.

The US Marine Corp's version of Sun Tzu's Art of War. Concise and direct as would be expected from the Marines, yet with depth enough to make the points clear. A wonderful work for explaining how the Marines fight wars and a good resource for a competive advantage in any context. A handy resource for the military or military history enthusiast. A must read for every Marine. Insight for business leaders and more.

This is the best book that I've ever read regarding military doctrine-- it elegantly sums up the most relevant points of Clausewitz and Boyd's OODA Loop to come to sound military principle in less than 100 pages. It also includes a number of references to the Eastern military philosophy (think Art of War and the Book of Five Rings, both required reading for the Japanese businessman) and ties them to our Western military philosophy quite elegantly.

If you aren't familiar with Clausewitz then I'd recommend picking up On Strategy by Summers; Warfighting will not give you all of the elements necessary to understand concepts like Friction.

This book travels with me wherever I go-- it is relevant to business and even personal development and is more than worth the price being charged for it.

Warfighting was written for the Marine unfamiliar with maneuver warfare to pick up, flip through, memorize the axioms, and apply in battle. As such, like most other field manuals issued to soldiers, it is a distillation of a large swath of ideas from Sun Tzu to Liddell-Hart. That said, it packs a good punch for such a small work. If, however, you're looking for a more detailed illustration of the principles outlined here, you might take a look at B.H. Liddell-Hart's "Strategy" as well as Thomas Cleary's translation of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War."

Additionally, those westerners who enjoy axioms focusing on the flux of life, war, or what have you might also like to take a look at Heraclitus' "Fragments." The basic tenets of Taoism that permeate Sun Tzu (and, by proxy, "Warfighting") can be equally well found in Heraclitus. His primary "thesis" if you will, "nothing is stationary, life is flux," is the axiom upon which maneuver warfare strategy is founded.

This book is intensely disturbing, gut-wrenching and horrific... That being said, it may sound cliche, but Jeremiah Denton provides an entirely new insight into what our servicemen have endured for our country -- what he went through will hit you hard. I dare anyone to read this book and not come away a changed person in some way...

I was impressed by Denton's horrifying experiences as a POW in Hanoi for 7+ years. He accurately describes the torture he and his fellow POWs experienced for several years before the tides of war slowly changed in the early '70s which lessened the tortures they were receiving. You, as a reader, are right there with Denton in his cell as he learns the tap codes and other methods of communication; how he is horribly punished and tortured for communicating and not cooperating. One has to ask oneself, "How would I have handled this situation?" To be locked in Alcatraz for several years in solitary confinement and wondering how to cope with it...what would YOU do?

I had seen the film of Denton's return in the movie, Dear America: Letters Home from Viet Nam and never really understood his horrible times in the Hanoi Hilton. Now, I do. A treasure of a read to add to any library. The only drawback...not enough maps to put his location in perspective.

Nevertheless, fascinating. In the words of his captors, "Shut mouth. Read book!"

This is one of the best books I've ever read. I have so much respect for Denton and the prisoners of war he was held in captivity with for over 7 years. It amazes me that anyone could survive within that environment. These soldiers helped each other survive under great distress -- even while many of them were in solitary confinement and their story is amazing. This book isn't just a recap of Denton's experience; it contains deeply thoughtful content throughout the book about love, patriotism, encouragement and more. There is much wisdom contained in this book. I learned a lot and highly recommend it to others.

Mr. Denton and his fellow POWs are the very definition of the the word hero. In this book, Mr. Denton tells the story of his 7+ years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam with grace, dignity, and courage. His great love for the United States and his pride in being an American are evident again and again. He endured unspeakable agony and conditions so horrible they are beyond my comprehension, yet he never wavered in his love for his country, his family, and his God. I am humbled and overwhelmed at the sacrifices this man (and many others) have made on my behalf. The despicable act of the California state "leadership" and Fabian Nunez in barring Mr. Denton from speaking before a California Assembly on Independence Day 2004 is reprehensible and disgusting.

Thank you, Mr. Denton! You deserve our undying gratitude.

Here is yet another first rate tale of an American P.O.W. in North Vietnam. The prisoner is Navy pilot Jeremiah Denton, who was based on the carrier "Independence". His A6 aircraft was shot down in July of 1965. Denton spent the following 8+ years in captivity until the general release in the Spring of 1973. The title refers to the torture "sessions" Denton and his colleagues suffered at the hands of their captors. This reviewer has read several P.O.W. accounts. While all are similar in that they demonstrate great bravery and perseverance in brutal situations, each is also unique: WHWS focuses on the military command structures that existed in prison despite rigorous Vietnamese efforts to stymie them. The senior military commanders/prisoners like Admiral Stockdale, Colonel Robinson Risner and others obviously possessed a tremendous pride and strove to imbue that pride in all P.O.Ws. Denton pulls few punches. It startled this observer to learn that not all prisoners always agreed with the "program" and not all P.O.W.s were the best of buddies behind the walls. The author stresses the ubiquitous "tap code" that allowed communication within the prison walls. There is even an introductory chart to tapping! Denton glosses over his 4(!) years in solitary and concentrates on the other 4 years he was free to "mingle" with his fellow Americans. There is a noticeable lack of venom and bitterness toward the North Vietnamese in the text. The reader may suspect that Denton has come to terms with his years in the Hanoi Hilton and other garden spots of the North. WHWS is rated 5 stars with only 2 minor demerits: One is the absence of ANY maps. Most war books gloss over maps but surely the publisher could have inserted one! The other weakness is the appallingly small type in my paperback edition. Those interested in Admiral/Senator Denton's story may wish to verify before purchase how the many available editions of WHWS handle these issues.

This is truly a magisterial study of the Holocaust (Shoah), well deserving of its award of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction, and follows the author's earlier volume covering the 1933-1939 period. It runs some 663 pages of text, includes 128 pages of meticulous notes, and 51 pages of bibliographic references. It places heavy reliance not only on contemporary documents, but also on published and unpublished memoirs and diaries (such as that of Victor Klemperer, also reviewed on Amazon). The author has a unique perspective, since he was born in Prague in but grew up in France between 1940 and 1944 during the Nazi occupation. He spent part of this period in a Catholic boarding school and considered converting. His parents were both lost.

There are many fine books on the Holocaust. But Friedlander's work is unique and distinctive in contribution. He does not just recount in graphic detail how the extermination program progressed (although there is plenty of this horror discussed), he explains how it developed. It is not until page 339 that he even gets to the Wannsee conference. Rather, he focuses upon how the Nazi Jewish policy evolved from harasment to racial extermination. The author makes the somewhat surprising argument (to me at least) that the Nazis did not start out at the beginning of the war or earlier to exterminate the Jews of Europe. Rather, the policy evolved as the war developed and various demands encouraged this program to be developed. In fact, it is not until late 1942 or early 1943 that the extermination policy was implemented by the Nazi leadership. Truly an interesting argument to say the least.

Given the author's previous biography of Pius XII, there is much discussion of the Catholic Church's reaction to all this. The author also discusses the Jewish Councils set up by the Nazis and whether they sacrificed the "less valuable" Jews in an effort to spare the more elite groups--another interesting topic. The book proceeds chronologically from 1939 through to 1945. Friedlander is able to balance a large number of topics skillfully as he develops his narrative. Many individual countries and their involvement in Holocaust implementation are discussed. The competing goals of extermination versus the use of Jews as slave laborers in defense industries is also covered. The author also wants to make it explicitly clear that ordinary Germans well knew that extermination was underway. Finally, one of the most surprising aspects to me was the author's explanation of how the determination to complete extermination only increased as it became obvious the war had been lost.

Friedlander could have written an emotional account, given his background. Instead, we see the work of a master historian true to his craft and unwilling to sacrifice professional standards in his analysis of a topic that surely was of the greatest pain to himself. We can all benefit from his professional dedication.

A truly monumental work that simply outpaces many other related literary endeavors appearing over the past 30 years. Reads easily and without the stodgy encumbrances of many history books. A must read for anyone interested in the Holocaust.

This is a magisterial book, as one of the critics defined it. Not only does it contain an exhaustive research, poignant diarists' quotations, and a vast collection of amazing facts (such as the refusal of the Hungerians to surrender their Jews to Hitler, or the indifference of starving and desperate parents to the deportation of their children), it also, and most importantly, "nails" the Nazi crimes and criminals as no other book has ever done. In the presence of this book, Holocaust deniers will be forever silenced. Furthermore, I can hardly imagine the pain Prof. Friedlander, a Holocaust survivor whose parents were murdered by the Nazis, had subjected himself to in writing this tome of a book. It is a brave, sacrificial work.
I agree, though, with some of the critics' complaints that the book, although riveting, is at times a difficult slog. Maps and pictures would have helped. Also chapters' titles would have helped. In the notes section, printing the chapter #s and the pages #s at the top of the page would have helped a great deal. But isn't it the function of the editors to notice such things? My most important criticism, though, concerns Friedlander's omissions. The Nazi evil sears the pages, as it did the Jews, and the victims' cries for help plow like an ax, as Kafka would put it, in the frozen sea within us. One cannot forget those screams, cannot take the ax out and toss it to oblivion. The bystanders, too, are revealed in their shame and cowardice, like thousands and thousands of shadows crowding the gladiatorial arena. But one group of people is noticeably missing: the heroes who risked their lives to save Jews. Wallenberg is given a brief mention in half a sentence; the Danish rescuers are mentioned in a mere short paragraph; and Schindler and Hannah Senesh are not even mentioned. Thousands of heroic gentiles are listed in the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C., but Friedlander has found no room for even some of them in his book. If an act of courage is mentioned, it is disposed of quickly, as if it did not matter. But it did, and it does. Granted, Friedlander's subject moves in a different direction, but his omitting of the heroes does them--and all humanity perhaps--a grave injustice.

Nazi Germany and the Jews is a two volume set on Nazi Germany's satanic persecution and murder of six million Jews. Volume I deals with the years of persecution suffered by the Reich's Jews from Hitler's takeover of the state in 1933 until the outbreak of World War II in September 1939.
Saul Friedlander is a survivor of the Holocaust growing up as a Jew in occupied France.Friedlander teaches the Holocaust at UCLA. His second volume "The Years of Extermination:1939-1945" is destined for classic status as one of the essential books on this most lamentably horrible time in European and human history. The book is over 700 pages in length and reads quickly due to the author's abilities to tell the tragic story with clarity and dispassionate reportage.
With the conquest of Poland the Nazis established countless concentration camps in conquered territory. By 1941 with the Nazi's invasion of the Soviet Union and the entry of the United States the final solution decision was made to kill all of the Jews in Europe. Himmler and Heydrich of the SS with their underlings such as Eichmann began to put this murderous and ungodly plan into execution. Millions of Jews, Gypsies, POW's, political dissidents, Communists and others died in the gas chambers of hellholes such as Auschwitz, Buchenwald, Treblenka and Sobibor. I learned from this book that at the end of the war the Nazi marched almost one million Jewish prisoners Westward causing more untold murders and savageries. This book will boggle your mind with horror and make you aware of the heart of darkness which beat in the heart of the merciless mechanical beast known as Nazi Germany.
Friedlander teaches us that Europe was an Anti-Semitic atmosphere but in Germany Hitler used this prejudice to seize power. Hitler believed the Jews were behind Communism and was a rabid amoral leader who would brook no mercy for Jewish men, women or children. We see the cruel Nazi night seize the light of life in every occupied nation from France to Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Scandinavian Countries, Greece & the Balkans and any place Jews could be found.
Rather than a dry recounting of facts the author also includes poignant diary entries from Jews who suffered the persecutions and in most cases death at the hands of the Nazis. The most insightful diaries, in my opinion, were those of Anne Frank in Holland and Victor Klemperer who was married to an Aryan German woman. Friedlander also includes first person reports of atrocities by German soldiers, civilians and top Nazi figures such as the Mephisto Joseph Goebbels the master of Nazi Propoganda.
Friedlander's book is not perfect. Maps and illustrations would add greatly to future editions. One prays that such an event will never take place again. This book is a testament and witness to the shoah victims whose six million voices speak through the words of an excellent historian of a black chapter in our race's time on this earth.

This massive work is a disappointment in style. The writer's prose seems calculated to make the reader's work difficult, and there is no excuses for one who knows the pitfalls of academic writing to quickly breach the first rule of research-based treatises - don't burden the language by turning three or four sentences into a single one. The book is constructed from language so cluttered, with sentences so convoluted, that the narrative is weakened and folowing the exploration of causality (the real point of the book)becomes more and more frustrating. The tangled prose is one thing. Another is the self-referencing ("as we shall see," "when we previously met them in an earlier chapter," "later,this will be exlored in full") which somehow got past the subs. The only memorable prose is the searing quotations of those who were consumed first by hopelessness and then by the machinery of murder. One cannot help but recall Primo Levi's assertion that the best witnesses of the Holocaust were consumed by it.
At the end of reading this book, it is difficult to recall lines of thought, apart from the public nature of Hitler's determination to wipe out European Jewery, and the nature of the Vatican's indifference, which bordered on complicity. But this has been covered elsewhere and to better effect. So I found it hard to warrant the claims made by some reviewers that the book contained revelations. If you are looking for clearly expounded research that provides a memorable reading experience, this book is not the last word.

Anyone who is facing the prospect of making decisions for a family member who is ill or frail should read this book. Some of the information shared is vital - not only on an emotional level, but a financial one as well. Many people make mistakes when choosing nursing home care. Bosworth shares things that readers can use to assist them in finding the best care available for their loved one. She also stresses the importance of making your personal wishes known to your family before they are thrown into a whirlwind of confusion should you suffer an unexpected medical emergency.

Bosworth never succumbs to self-pity, yet she shares her heart and her pain in a way that makes the reader part of the journey. I was struck with her compassion and her honesty. After reading YOUR MOTHER HAS SUFFERED A SLIGHT STROKE, you will feel as if you have gained more than the sharing of a painful experience - you will feel as if you've made a new friend. This book is a treasure.

Highly recommended.

The person who wrote this book is not a writer. It's not beautifully done and has some typos, but it's very informative about what can happen when a close family member has a massive stroke. Her skill is honesty, and the story itself is fascinating. She touches upon many important issues such as physical therapy, nursing homes, money issues, dementia, quality of care, feelings, and the strained relationships between doctors and the family of the patient. I read the entire thing the same day I picked it up from the library: recommended.

Talented author, Kathy Bosworth, has written a timely and informative book for all who have aging parents or know of other with aging family members or friends. In a step by step discussion of the effects of a stroke on the loved one and on others who are "standing by," we are taken along on a daily, weekly, and monthly review of a family's coping and a "first-hand" account as understanding and adjustment becomes a primary focus in caring for the individual, in this case, Kathy's mother.
It is a sensitive, touching, and informative account that can serve as a guide-book for many of us who do not understand the full impact of a stroke and its implications.
It is written in a language we can all understand and the reader is drawn into the daily experiences until the conclusion of the book. I recommend this book for every home library as a source of referral and information. Your Mother has Suffered a Slight Stroke is a necessary and helpful read for everyone and the reader is sure to relate to Kathy and her family and their touching and poignant, true-life experiences.
Evelyn Horan - Author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Books One-Four

A friend gave me this book when my mother suffered a stroke. This book helped me understand and know what to ask, when to ask and how to ask questions. I have read several books recently and this one outlined more about what I needed to know. I would recommend it highly. It certainly helped me.

I'm a bereavement counselor and I coucil with people who are experiencing many different types of losses. A mentor of mine told me about this book months ago. She called me the other day to ask if I had put this book to work by using the information in it to help others. It reminded me of all the great information and love in this well written book about getting a family through medical trauma. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with any kind of a disease. A stroke can come into any of our lives any minute on any given day. This book is about so much more than strokes.

I read this story about Zoya, the young Afghan woman and her story of refuge in Pakistan and trips into Afghanistan. This is an OK story, although I prefer My Forbidden Face, another Afghan woman's story. Zoya's comments about the Mujalideen being as bad as the Taliban has some truth. Her resistance to these two regimes through RAWA is brave and principled. It goes to show that Afghan society is very traditional in the sense of repressing woman throughout society. The Soviet regime was probably the best in representing women in the society, but of course they were invaders and Zoya was not happy about their occupation of the country.

This is a pretty basic story detailing the crimes of the Mujalideen and the Taliban. Zoya loses both parents, probably to the Mujalideen. Then she is forced to flee and her opposition to the Taliban makes up the latter part of this book.
Hers is a difficult position. Friends in RAWA place her in a school and she becomes liberated with knowledge. She refuses to leave her countrymen and lives in a refugee camp. Her life is spent for the betterment of her countrymen, including women.

I like the other book better, but this is an OK read about the difficulties faced by Afghan women.

zoyas story is a tale of one girl whose mother was an advocate for womens rights, and she followed suit after her mothers death and after discouraging life changes. living under the taliban was a historically tragic event for all women who endured this horrific regime that ruled afghanistan without mercy or compassion for women or their rights. zoyas entire life has been uprooted and yet she has such a strong heart and mind and will not let her people suffer alone, he courage and strength is a guide to those who have equally or more suffered and lost all theyve ever had. an example to live by, a great inside look into an awful time in afghanistans history. this book will also take you into pakistan where many refugees fled, and zoya continued to be a help to many people.

If you've been unable to make sense out of the conflicting regimes and wars in Afghanistan during the past 2 decades, this intimate account of one young woman's life will help put it in a human prospective. Zoya is the nom de guerre of a 23-year old Afghan woman who fled her homeland after her parents were murdered on orders of the thuggish Mujahideen.

I found the first part of the book more interesting than the last, as Zoya describes her life as a lively little girl playing in the streets of Kabul and as the beloved only child of educated parents. She becomes gradually aware that her parents are involved in clandestine activities to undermine the increasingly repressive political regime. One day her father, and somewhat later, her mother simply disappear. As more women are victimised in the streets and in their own homes, Zoya and her grandmother decide to take refuge in Pakistan. There Zoya grows to adulthood and joins the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA).

Zoya is involved in assisting Afghan refugees and later becomes a spokeswoman and fund-raiser for the organization. There are brief accounts of secret travels to Afghanistan to photograph Taliban activities such as the cutting off of hands. I wish Zoya had been less vague about the work of her organisation and her actual role in it, but it is apparently necessary for reasons of personal security. Considering the venomous hate-mail she & RAWA received from American supporters & former friends after 9/11, it is understandable and very sad that they cannot afford to trust anyone.

I loved the book and love the courage of Zoya. Women like Zoya should become all oppressed women's role models!
This book is entertaining and the same time educating!

Having grown up with the priviledges of living in the United States one can only imagine the devestation this amazing young woman has gone through in her short, inspiring life.
At the tender age of 7, this courageous girl already started her early beginnings helping her mother work for RAWA (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan). Living in a country that had been overtaken by the Russians in what they called "the puppet regime", one couldn't imagine that life could get worse in this destitute country, ravaged by war and poverty. "The bleeding wound" Gorbachav called it.
Zoya's graphic, heroic and saddening story told with such detail brings you to a life, I would say you "could just imagine", but I can't imagine that life. orphaned at a young age, under two controlling fundamentalist Moslem regimes, life in Afghanistan only seems to grow worse. Under the control of the Taliban, you will read of the most inhumane, torturous treatment. The taking of lives. I always knew how awful the Taliban was, but I never knew from an individual's personal experience what it was REALLY like to live there.
This incredible young woman has done so much for the woman and people of Afghanistan, helping refugees, teaching women to read and write in a country where 90% of the women are illiterate, spreading the words of freedom, where her life can be taken at any time. Zoya is a true hero and inspiration.
There is one line in the book that I will never forget, and I believe it is how Zoya truelly loves and feels for her country. It is a line from an old Afghan folklore "I am ready to die for my love, but I want my love to be ready to die for my country." This is the passion Zoya lives with on her crusade to make life better for people in Afghanistan.

I got a copy from the local library, read it, then ordered a copy for my collection. It's well-written and difficult to put down once you get started. Buy it!

This is a quick and easy read about the Vietnam War. Focus is on stories related to the the soldier's care in Vietnam and the
critical cases sent to Japan. For those interested in the glamour of war, read this book for the cost of such glamour, crippled men. Since this book was written in 1971, it does not
contain much of the later aspects of the war. Generally it is unsypathetic to the American pursuit of the war.

Dr. Glasser has written a great story on the Vietnam War and the Hospital and personnel envolved. Having read it almost right through it brought back lots of memories stored in the deep of my mind. I had lived a time in a Naval Hospital and was put back together in a wonderful way by many good Doctors and Nurses in the Boston area. I will always remember them and hope that many that have never associated the hospitals with the war will now understand how many men went through those portals in those years. Many to never be the same, God bless them all, and God bless our wonderful country.

This book is a series of short stories detailing personal accounts of US infantry combat operations during the Vietnam War. Fast-paced, vivid and well-written. Stories cover the individual spectrum from the most gung-ho Airborne-Ranger to the most reluctant drugged-out draftee. Helicopter, river, armored, long range recon and regular infantry operations are all part of 365 Days. The book shows clearly the human tragedy of war at a personal level. Recommended reading for the hawk and the pacifist.

Dr. Glassner provides a unique perspective on the American experience in Vietnam -- that of a medical officer responsible for treating the shattered, burned, and exhausted men caught up in that conflict. There is plenty of heroism in his short tales, but usually it is the heroism of brute survival, of adapting to impossible conditions, of enduring the unendurable.

I have heard this book referred to as an "anti-war" work, and one that derides America's involvement in Southeast Asia. I disagree. Glassner simply tells it like it was -- he pulls no punches, so oftentimes reading this book is very unpleasant: how many "John Wayne shoot 'em up" memoirs of Vietnam recount the suffering endured on a burn ward?

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Vietnam War, the continued psychological and physical suffering of combat vets from all eras, or to anyone concerned with the consequences for our sons and daughters when politicans send our troops to war. Should be required reading for college students,...

The ideas are presented in a clear,easy to follow way. To help drive home what you have read, Rolf provides exercises througouht the book. If you are serious about understanding yourself, and making changes in your life to reach your goals, read the book and do the exercises, then adapt them into your life.

Being a researcher, I am always concerned about innovation and how to encourage it. Many books discuss things in theory, but not in a practical fashion. The book makes it clear that you need to change the way you think to become more innovative, both as an individual and a company. The practical ideas are very useful, especially the Blue Slips and the 5 Minute Meeting tools. It was an easy read, and I found I that the second reading was as insightful as the first.

Latte for everyone. It was a voice of mutiny - not over authoritarian or dictitorial regimes - rather the freeing of the spirit of a team of people on a thinking expedition with Rolf Smith. Next to the cash register at this Estes Park, Colorado shop was a hand written sign reading "Afraid of change, leave it here." This amusing appeal for a tip struck a chord common in many - the fear of change.

Rolf Smith takes on the challenge of this fear using the metaphor of an expedition in his 7 Levels of Change. Integrating much into highly useful book enables people to comprehend a positive approach to making their lives diffferent for the better - whether at home or at work. Process, tools, theory all mixed with a heavy dose of creativity is what makes this antidote for fear so effective as a guide.

Highlighted in Fast Company, Rolf's work extends beyond the printed page. As Lead Guide for his Thinking Expeditions he will take you on an amazing journey. Rolf's mastery of integration is taken to new heights as he leads people through a high energy mind expansion. The 7 Levels of Change serves as the framework for a rich depth of practical application of process and tools including a journey into the minds and thinking of the individual and the collective of groups. Rolf's mastery is matched with a great sensitivity to the value of diversity in culture, a great palette of creativity, a sense of humor and a dose of metaphor that goes live as he and his fellow guides help you climb free of the devilish fear within.

7 Levels of Change serves as a great compass and going on Expedition with Rolf will do nothing less than change your life. Buy it. Read it. Climb on.

About three years ago, I had the fortune to meet Rolf Smith and attend his School For Innovators which in alot of ways is built around his book, The Seven Levels of Change. It would be an understatement to say Rolf's book and his school changed my life forever and more importantantly changed my "thinking" forever. The Seven Levels of Change is one of the most practical,"hands on", and useable books that I have ever read. Because of this book and my involvement with Rolf, I now think differently to the tune of going back to graduate school and restructuring my life at the age of 43. It has not been easy but it has been fun, challenging, and once you read his book and implement his ideas, you will never look at your work, family, or your life in the same manner. The amazing part of this book is that it applies to individuals, corporations of any size, schools, and almost any facet of life where you have to think......that covers alot of ground.......think about it.

A tremendous guide to effecting change in personal and corporate settings, offering theory, case studies and tools. Understanding the process of converting creativity to innovation, especially in corporate settings, is de-mystified, while not made simplistic or trite. I've used the tools from this nifty little tool-kit in my personal, professional and community lives, and I'm now doing things I've only dreamed about! Do yourself a favor, and invest in "7 Levels" for a richer and more stimulating life.

What an incredible feeling reading the words of two of our country's founding fathers. To feel the respect and affection , as well as irritation, of these men is astounding. I am grateful that they have been made available to us to have and hold in our own hands and libraries and to pass on to our children.

This is a very intersting book. The letters are all preceeded by an introduction that gives the reader historical context as well as a description of the relationship at the time between the writers of the letter.

Out second and third presidents began their political career as friends, fell out, and then fortunately became friends again. In this wonderful collection of personal letters we see not only the men but the times until their deaths July 4, 1826. One of our most beloved presidents and most mis-understood are brought into reality by this collection. They were after all both remarkable men and human beings.

Have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall and to be able to share in the thoughts and happenings of important places and people? Well, if your desires in that regard include the office of the Presidency of the United States and the early days following the American Revolution, that is exactly what this book provides.

As was typical of statesmen of that day, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams maintained a lengthy personal and professional correspondance the subjects of which were both mundane and highly intellectual. This book takes that correspondance, chronologically arranges it and then groups it according the characteristics of the time and the themes of their correspondance. As an additional bonus, John's wife Abigail Adams is included as well.

My attraction to this volume was to seek clarity and focus on several questions that are quite relevant to today. What was meant and intended by the concept of Separation of Church and State and what was the philisophic and religious thinking of there two important figures? There's no shortage of resources out there to tell you what these men thought, the context of their society and usually as an added bonus how these matters in one way or another support the agenda or perspective of the one putting the source together.

At some point however, if you really want to grapple with these issues or just understand the times and importance of these two men, there is no substitute for simply reading and allowing them to speak for themselves.

The added benefit of reading it through in its entirity is that you are not subjected to the judgement of another as to what is significant, what isn't and you aren't relying upon snippets and quotes that may or may not be in context and may or may not be representative of all that either man had to say upon a certain matter.

Certainly, this is just a small cross-section of all that these two men wrote and by itself there is much more that should be added. However, more than any other correspondance preserved from that day that these men engaged in, this was an exchange between men who considered the other his equal and for whom, with exceptions in time periods that are noted, mutual respect and a desire to explain themselves to one another motivated a candor and depth of intimacy that is difficult to find in other sectors.

Certainly, any student of American History needs this resource as a reference and as such it affords a ready means to add information and topically flip through the pages to see what each man had to say on a particular subject.

Every such student though, in my opinion, owes it to themselves, at least once, to just sit down and read the entire volume. Do this, and you'll have a handle upon the style of communication of the day, a feeling for many of the issues of the day and how they were viewed by the participants who did not have the advantage of knowing at the time how something would resolve. Idiosyncrasies in language and social custom will become more self-evident and the chances of being mislead by a quote isolated from its context will diminish considerably.

In short, for anyone who loves History, this is an experience not to be missed.

The footnotes and introductory passages to the different sections in my opinion do a remarkably good job of providing the reader with just enough context and outside information so that the letters themselves make sense and are not misunderstood. The reader is not told what to think about the letters per se, but rather equipped to make a better informed evaluation and come to their own conclusions. Those elements make the book valuable as well.

5 stars if ever there was a book worthy of 5 stars; again, this IS history.

Bart Breen

Throw Away the texbooks. As others have said this is our Real History and Heritage. There is more to be found here on Ethics and Intergrity than in any of the pogressively vaporous decriptions of these men and their times. Imagine the chief architects of the Great Experiment in Representstve Democracy. Adversaries at the Constitutional Congress; ememies over the the transition from Adam's Presidency to Jefferson's. And then THESE! Conciliation and repect and eventually true affection - The founding fathers in thier own words - asessing what they had wrought - the good, the bad, the ugly - all passsed through that wondeful 18-19th Century Prose. Throw away the text books. Integrity was the founding principle of Taoism; Ethics the founding princple of Socratic/Platonic discouse. Adams and Jefferson knew this. Many Americans are waking up astounded by the lack of these two foundational elements in our modern system of governance. There is more to be learn of governance,literature and critical thinking on any page than there is in an entire high-school(and most college) curricula. Jefferson and Adams are stirring, stirring - and this can only be a Good Thing.

I've just granted my eyes and heart a second opportunity to experience Alaska through the verse and images of John Pezzenti Jr. The verse conveys both the spiritual and emotional connection the author obviously has with Alaska. The images transport this viewer to a place and time that feature nature displaying a magnificence worthy of savoring. Alaska, the book, inspires me to contemplate another adventure here in the northern Eden we call Alaska. A place where I am invited to quest for the spirit of the natural world that John Pezzenti knows so well. Alaska, the book and Alaska, the place transend the ordinary with grandure and excitement. I recommend both to anyone who lusts for beyond the ordinary. John Toppenberg

After 40 some years of living Alaska, I am well aware of the difficulty and seeming impossibility of capturing the great land on film and with words. The true essense and spitituality of this vast offering often eludes our cameras and pens. John has nailed it. His enduring patience and impecable eye for the finest of nature glows from image to image, mushroom ice stands, an otter enjoying a meal, volcanic clouds balloning over stands of towering spruce, an eaglets first moment broken from the shell, in your face bears, all these images and much more inspire me to look harder, go further, and wait longer for more of Alaska than I have ever experienced. The photos are sparkled by John's unique style of writing. After recieving the book as a gift I spent long nights, reading and re-reading his tales of adventure with delight. My work takes me far from home and John's book gives me opportunity to share the true flavors of Alaska with those I meet on the trail. Thank you John for sharing your God given talents, I so look forward to the next book.

There are a great many picture books on Alaska, some which contain exceptional photgraphic elements. There are a great many journalistic books on Alaska, some which are so well written the reader is taken with and to The Great Land. John Pezzenti's book epitomizes the best of both.

Like Alaska, this book is greater than it's physical boundaries. It evokes the senses and the emotions. This is one photo book that is a must read!

Great Book! I would recommend to anybody interested in the beauty of our 49th state. This book captures the wild beauty and grandeur of the last frontier. Buy this book, if you can!

Once you have met John Pezzenti, you will understand that this artist and his incredible photographs are one entity. John's "ALASKA..." will take you on an incredible journey through the heart of the Alaskan wilderness, into the soul of an unforgettable man.

Five years ago, I walked into a conference room at the World Trade Center in Manhattan. A man stood beside a display of exquisitely breathtaking photographs, protecting them like an anxious parent; listening to every word, every comment, as if there might be some question about the magnificence of his work. That enigma was John Pezzenti, Jr. Those privileged to know him, have experienced the complexities of the man: Passionate, sensitive, wild as Alaska, free as the wind and sometimes, as immovable as the mountains. His life and his photographs have made an indelible impression.

Language seems a truly inadequate means of conveying the experience of John's "ALASKA" book. The photographs seem to have a life of their own. Speaking directly to the heart and soul, they give a glimpse into the spirit of the man who created them. This is a soul that seems to dance somewhere between heaven and earth. A soul that has borne burdens that few of us could shoulder, but one that has known transcendent heights that few will ever reach.

With each page, John's photographs and stories allow us to share his incredible gift, and to see places on this earth that seem closer to heaven. John's spirit is as wild and free as the Alaskan wilderness. Nature seems to recognize a kindred spirit. You will feel certain that he has been granted special permission to view the sacred, and that at times, nature must say "wait, keep that until John gets here." But such honors are not bestowed without tremendous tests of courage and endurance, endless patience, and unquestioning faith. No work of this magnitude is brought to fruition without great sacrifices, and John has made more than his share.

John has the unique talent of capturing the essence of the moment - then combining it with a fragment of his own soul - the result is this spectacular gift he has given to the world. No one can experience "ALASKA: A Photographic Journey..." and not be deeply moved. The superb imagery and heart warming words speak to everyone in a unique way. It will draw you in, touching your heart and soul each time you open its pages to relive the journey. Again and again it will surprise you, revealing something new with each reading.

Thank you, John for sharing your vision. Your book is dearly treasured, and keeps Alaska close to my heart until I return. God Bless, John. We await your next creation.

The All American All The Way is the best book I ever read!!!
There is no foul language that I remember. It takes you through training to Berlin.
The 82nd Airborn Division stood and hooked up to jump the first mass combat jump in history, on July 10th 1943. Badly scattered on the drop,they looked at their maps to see if they knew where they were. Finally they arrived where they needed to be and in do time were fighting a small band of forces so they thought, but turned out to be tanks accompanied by infantry.
If you want to know more about the 82nd Airbore buy this book!

My father served in the 82nd with 504th parachute regiment from its inception to the war's end. He talked very little about his experiences. Mr. Nordyke's marvelous book, with its accounts by the men who fought the battles, helped me to know my dad better. It will help anyone to understand what combat is really like and the great heroism of these ordinary Americans - almost all of them mere boys. Highly recommended.

I've just finished reading "All American All The Way" and I must say that this book is by far the very best book written on any WWII unit that I have read. With many veteran accounts, Mr. Nordyke takes the reader along from airborne training, the formation of the division, and the actions that the division participated in from Sicily through Germany.

One can almost hear the roar of battle as the author, and the veterans describe fighting in the hedgerows in Normandy, or street fighting in Holland. I very highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in WWII history.

What can I say... This is one of the best works of military non-fiction, I have ever had the joy of reading. At first sight of the book, I was a little daunted by it's size. However, due to the fluidic quality of Phil's excellent writing, I found it to be an effortless read. The research involved behind this book is immense, and it thoroughly gripped me, all the way. I've not read such a book of this calibre, in a very long time. The action and information contained within, left me feeling that I had personally been fighting along side with these brave men, all the way!

This book provides a superb, first hand, graphic insight into the life and hardships of the 82nd Airborne campaigns, throughout the European theatre of operations. Sicily, Italy, Normandy, Holland, Belgium and the German `Siegfried' line, breakthrough.

It's difficult to find criticism, other than the accounts of life while they were camped in England, during 1944, are a little vague. And my interest in the Division stems from the fact that the 80th Anti-Tank and the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment were billeted only a mile or two, up the road from me, in Leicester. However, this doesn't detract from the fact it's an excellent read.

The quality of this hardback it of the highest, along with the inclusion of excellent maps illustrating the campaigns, and many archive photographs from the time.

I'm now at a loss as what to read after this book. This book's a tough act to follow. It's clear, exciting and most thought provoking. A must read for anyone interested in the 82nd Airborne Division, and the European theatre of operations during the Second World War.

This is a very extensive, impressive and total history of the 82nd airborne division, what was called by Generals in WWII as the greatest division of the time (of course the 101st airborne would probably argue that). The scope of this book is amazing. In its 776 pages (yes, it is long but very interesting), it lays out all the campaigns fought in WWII including Sicily, Salerno, Italy, Normandy, Netherlands, the Bulge, and Germany. And, the book tells the story at the individual unit (down to company and platoon) and individual level. It is told in the words of the heroes who fought in the 82nd during the war. As mentioned in one review, this should become the standard for not only this division but for any division for laying out the story of the heroism and the tragedy of this war.