Conferences Books

Ray Kroc's autobiography provides an interesting glimpse of the McDonald's system and it's development. The book is well written and interesting to read. Despite this, I do not recommend the book. It offers no wisdom or lessons learned to take away from the book besides Kroc's greatness. (Kroc never suffered from an excess of humility.) In addition, I found it difficult to like Kroc. He rarely found fault with himself and blamed others for his and his businesses problems. Particularly galling to me was when Kroc had the opportunity to invest in McDonalds and another earlier business opportunity, his wife of 30 years was unconvinced of the plans wisdom. Rather than spend the time to bring her aboard, he tossed her aside continued with his business plans.

There's a lot to say about McDonald's, or about any business. But this isn't a book about McDonald's, it's about the life of the man behind it. It's a quaint book. It doesn't tell you about the pathos of the man's life; he mentions his daughter I believe just once throughout the whole book. Instead, we're given a nostalgic rosey-colored view of what got this man up in the morning, the ideas that chewed at his mind, and his drive to achieve them.

Ray Kroc didn't even become interested in McDonalds until he was in his 50's. In fact, the autobiography is most interesting when discussing the series of events leading up to his making the acquaintance of the McDonald brothers, who had a small family-owned venue which was able to pop out hamburgers for a nickel a piece. Before this time, Kroc worked various odd jobs around the city, during prohibition he even played piano at an illeagal salon. He eventually settled in as a sales-rep, eagerly hopping from one product to another, from one costumer to the next. It might not be the ideal life, but Kroc's enthusiasm sure makes it seem that way. At one point he was truly excited about marketing some type of outdoor fold-in chair that his friend had made - he was positive that it was going to take the world by storm. And later he gets into marketing a product called a multi-mixer, which can make six milk shakes at once! This, he thought, will really bring in the dough.

In the meantime, he hauled from one business to another, trying out various ideas. Some days he would hardly sleep - in one passage in the book, he talks about his tricks for getting to sleep as quickly as possible after his head hit the mat. That way he wouldn't lose valuable time trying to fall asleep.

There are a lot of fun anecdotes in the first third of the book. But what brings the book to the next level is the description of how he stumbled upon the McDonald's brothers, and made their business (unfortunately, without them) one of the most successful businesses of the century. Kroc applies the same raw enthusiasm and smarts, but the scale of his business keeps exponentially increasing. In this section, the nature of the anecdotes changes - they're more like what you would expect, with meeting so-and-so who now has millions of dollars, and striking a deal with so-and-so who is now stinking rich. And then there are still the more humbling stories, which match up with the folding-chair experience above - like the creation of the HulaBurger, a fried pinapple with cheese and fixins in a bun. Kroc thought it was the best thing he had ever tasted, how could it ever fail?

McDonald's didn't change Ray Kroc, it's clear that the business came straight out of a person who knew what people wanted. Throughout the book, Kroc is solving problems, working his hardest, observing human nature. The ideals you see in a young piano-playing or door-peddling Ray are the same ideals that created the double arches. By connecting all of these dots, this autobiography depicts a very inspiring man, albeit from rose-tinted lenses, along with the values of remaining honest, genuine, and business-like.

This is a great book for all entrepreneurs who are starting out and a good reminder for established ones. The title fits the book very well since it does show that Ray did make a lot of gambles to make it all work out and he started out an average middle income citizen like everybody else. Lessons like:
- Sweating it out
- Constantly trying new things
- Learning from mistakes

Very good lessons in business and life.

Although the first few chapters on his biography do not have much to do about business.

It is not often you unearth a business biography that starts your stomach rumbling with hunger while maintaining your attention. No matter what your perception of the fast food hamburger industry, Grinding it Out provides a pleasant look into the origin of franchising and fast food. One will also find some gratification discovering the extent to which Ray Kroc put quality and integrity on an equal basis with profit; something possibly unexpected to those with prior negative perceptions of the mogul due to his abundant wealth.

Anderson provides a wealth of detail outlining the business dealings behind the growth of the McDonalds franchise. This book will be of interest to those with a curiosity towards the making of an industry. I recommend reading this book but suggest doing so with a full stomach.

A very good book, a definite read for anyone looking to learn more about start up business or true entrepreneurship.

Although, I think it's very important to look at the fact that things are much different now of days then when Ray Kroc started up Mcdonalds. It is very inspiring though to find out how old he was when he started this business. Though, it's nice to read of all these young kids starting up business, it's also nice to read about a man in his 50's finally doing a start up that he'd dream t of.

I really enjoyed reading David Andelman's new book, 'A Shattered Peace'. His well researched, cohesive book offers great insight into the events of the early 20th century, events that continue to shape the world almost 100 years after the fact. David writes from a perspective that analyzes the personalities of the participants and the key events of the era. He foreshadows some WWII history and puts them all into a highly readable narrative.
As the treaty was being negotiated, my family, my paternal grandparents were fleeing E. Europe, crossing the lines between the White Russians, the Bolsheviks, the Poles, the Germans. They departed their shetetl (Trisk/Tursk/Turysk/Tryska) on the Bug River with a US Citizen rescuer, a relative who returned to the old country from his new home in Vermont to save the family.

The events surrounding the conclusion of World War One and the subsequent treaty negotiations had a direct impact on todays world and most importantly, it had a direct impact on my family landing in the United States. Through David's book, I could see the world events interwoven with the trials & tribulations of my emmigrant/immigrant family fleeing the old country for a new life in the new world.

All in all a great book.

I am still a bit not sure (out of shock) at how the world was shaped back in 1919 by novices and youngsters who were given a free reign to decide and chart what the world was to look like. This work sounds fictional, perhaps because I could not believe the going ons as detailed in the book. From the first chapters to the end, this is an amazing journey through the anals of history and some of the ridiculous plans and actions taken by the fathers of the mordern world as shaped out in Paris in 1919.

David Andelman has written a very compelling historical account that vividly illustrates the eternal principle that those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Individuals & nations can only overlook it at their own peril, as his book so powerfully illustrates.
I sometimes coach executives on how to become global managers. It often needs to start with an undistorted understanding of history. Reading The World Is Flat is not enough. David's book is a must read to gain perspective necessary to think global, even though we need to act local.

I would not be surprised if David's book forms the basis of a movie.

Deepak / Dick Sethi
CEO Organic Leadership

This is a book that summarizes aspects of the Paris Peace conference in a reasonably coherent manner. That is about all that is good that I can say about this book. The actual analysis of the lessons learned and the prescription for the future are absolutely atrocious. It is actually hard for me to imagine that someone as experienced as David Andelman can be so awful in learning the lessons of the past. While the author criticizes the victors of the First World War to have dictated untenable conditions on the vanquished that led to further tragedies, he doesn't seem to have learned ANYTHING!!! His recipe for the solution is homogeneous nation-states so that there are no internal racial, religious, cultural squabbles. If a nation has minorities, the solution is to remove the minorities somehow so that there are no future internal conflicts. Israel for Jews, West Bank/Gaza for Palestinians etc. etc. He doesn't seem to have taken any time to ponder on the implication of ethnic cleansing, minority rights, and the pains that have been suffered during the creation of India/Pakistan and the Hitler/Stalin-induced cleansing of the various minorities in Europe to create the modern European states. His views are so American/Western-Europe/Israel-centric; as bad as the people who were at Versailles in 1919. I questioned the author personally at a recent meeting in New York City and he appears TOTALLY oblivious to the implications of what he is saying in his book. My final analysis after an hour-long discussion with him is that he thinks racially, religiously, culturally homogenous nation-states are the solutions for the future (read, Zionists' dream). I was very, very disappointed.

This is a well-written, well-researched book, with good insight and valuable information. However, where it fails utterly is in basic logic. While the best and most comprehensive European treaty up to that point, the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, is blamed throughout for all the world's problems, he fails to show how the Treaty was responsible.

In the vast majority of cases, the Treaty had nothing to do with the later problems of history. Indeed, many of the problems he blames on the Treaty were the product, not of the Treaty, but rather of the failure to enforce the Treaty. That, and not the Treaty, was what lead to World War II, the Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe, and the disintegration of Yugoslavia. The failure in logical thinking here is quite disturbing.

One of the best cases to be made as to the merits of the Treaty is the fact that the map of Europe today and the peaceful organization of Europe via common council, both stem from this Treaty and its objectives. The prevailing national boundaries of today are based on common language, the creation of nations large enough to prevail, access to the sea, and traditional historical boundaries -- exactly the formula used in 1919. The one place in Europe where the Treaty's approach to nationhood has been discarded -- Yugoslavia -- is, in fact, the place that has experienced the greatest problems. The European Union, NATO, and European Parliament of today are the extensions of the League of Nations devised in 1919. The Europe of today is very much the fulfillment of Woodrow Wilson's vision of 1919.

I have to have this book!It has so much support and advice.It also has information on different state laws on homeschooling.

This is a good resource book. As far as helping you individually in your homeschooling it's not a good book. But telling you were to go for help it is great.

I rely on the reviews of others when I buy books. After reading one review listed here, I was concerned that the information would not be reliable. However, upon reviewing the NEW edition, I discovered that the authors have not only updated the legal and support sections, but have updated resource info and even the discount coupons included in the book. As an old-time homeschooler, I can say that this stuff changes in the homeschooling world almost daily, and the authors deserve credit for staying abreast of the latest legal news as well as the constantly changing homeschool support group information. A big round of applause is deserved for keeping the resources up-to-date too -- which also changes with the wind. My favorite parts of the book are the "typcial day" and "curriculum" sections. Everyone who has homeschooled for any length of time knows there is no such thing as a typical day or a typical curriculum. We also know everyone assumes that there is. The Lepperts have provided a glimpse into what a typical day and a typical curriculum might be like. They are careful to let the reader know that one-size-does-not-fit-all. That's exactly what makes homeschooling such a wonderful choice for so many square pegs who don't fit the round holes of traditional schooling. This is a MUST READ for anyone considering homeschooling -- and the coupons are a nice plus as the discounts they offer really do help pay for the cost of the book!

I was completely disappointed when I purchased this book. Most of the information in it is out dated. The contact information for the homeschooling services was inaccurate. I wasted a lot of time looking up the correct phone numbers and web addresses for many of the companies listed. I think the authors should update their information or people are going to start thinking that they're just out to make a quick buck.

While this book does have some helpful resources it's summations of the laws and support groups is out of date and incomplete. So let the buyer beware regarding those two issues. Benefit from the information in the rest of this book but most certainly do not rely on it to be an authority of homeschooling laws and support in the state in which you live. Do exactly as the authors indicate--check with local homeschoolers before you begin. You'll be better off finding those laws and groups via the internet than relying on this book.

Hopefully the authors will make corrections in subsequent issues as they have been encouraged to do.

I am nearing the end of this book and have found it incredibly interesting and just as frightening!

I was skeptical about the reports of alien abductions until I started reading this. Now it takes me a while to pluck up the courage to turn off the lights when I stop reading each night!

A definite must-read for all you skeptics!

C.D.B. Bryan's journalistic report of his attendance at a huge UFO & alien abduction conference in the early 1990's held at M.I.T. is a clearly written and fair minded look at a complicated and often controversial subject.

Despite the fact that most recent polls indicate that the majority of Americans & indeed the world believe "we're not alone", there are many who refuse to accept or are fearful of discussing the alien abduction phenomenon. Similarly, even when UFO enthusiasts come to agreement about various elements within their own community, there are breaks in the ranks in terms of everything from the effective use of hypnotic regression to the incredibly disturbing notion of alien/human hybrids being harvested.

It can all be dizzyingly confusing and even discouraging for the newly interested and so Bryan's book remains one of the more well organized and objective treatments on the subject. The author never tries to sway the reader in any direction. He stays steadfast to his job of reporting what he saw and trying to make some sense of it without being judgmental or partial to a particular mindset.

In-depth, informative, solidly entertaining and yes at times even patently unbelievable, but it's never boring nor a waste of your time. This would be a great starting point for the novice researcher and a great reference book for the seasoned UFO devotee. I subtracted one star for lack of photos, since a few photos of conference participants would have been a welcome addition and personal touch to this otherwise excellent book.

This book added to my suspician of a government cover up, opened the pandoras box to Alien abduction, government cover-up, military technology, Similarities between everyone abductee. Theories on all of this and more kept me reading this book cover to cover. Skeptics that want to remain skeptical should not read this book. If you have a closed mind but dont want it to be pried open do not read this book. However anyone else should definitely pick up a copy. Every question I had became answered and questions I never asked were asked and answered. It blows your mind at what could be and what is going on out there. With the help of this book I have come to believe that the government is hostile toward whatever it is that IS out there. We had no part in deciding their welcome, who knows what is to come.

If this book is fiction, it stands up all the way. If not its a bonus, but a pretty scary one if we`re under that much control. What do I think? I underwent a total paradigm shift every time I opened the book so perhaps the question is unfair.

The books starts out well. The author is attending a conference at MIT about abductions by flying saucers. He's skeptical but respectful. He introduces you to the experts, the scholars, and the abductees. So far, so good.

But in the second half, he gives you LENGTHY descriptions of hypnosis sessions with a pair of abductees --- two women whose stories start off where you'd expect and then get crazier as they progress.

Actually, "crazy" is the wrong word. "Implausible" or "transparent" would be better. The two women need to add a little extra juice to their stories to keep your attention, so they add more alien beings, more strange events, and new places to explore.

This book would be a useful addition to the dozen-or-so books on UFO adbuctions if the second half was dropped. As I read it, my mind changed from skeptical and entertained (why DO so many people say they were abducted by flying saucers?) to cringing with embarassment (the Nordic E.T. in the giant cowboy hat was too much).

This book is a real eye-opener, and delves into practical matters regarding how to "reason." It leaves out, technicalities and reduces the ideas to the level an everyday person can comprehend.
(Nwankama Nwankama, Intelligence Analyst)

Giving this book one star is, I admit, a little unfair since I have not read it, but one thing must be kept in mind. What does one base one's critical thinking upon? One must have an anchor or base in order to think critically. Part, no I will say much, of what is wrong with our society today is the fact that no one seems to accept that there is absolute truth. This is what we should strive for when we think, when we discuss, when we argue and we do any activity that involves thinking. One doesn't simply think critically. I do not know if the author mentions this or not, so you can read me the riot act if he does, for I am admittedly ignorant. What I am saying, though, is that we must approach any activity with an eye to finding the truth. Without it, we are lost.

To be more magnetic, engaging and introspective, requires an inquisitive mind. Alec Fisher's, Critical Thinking, teaches you how to think about thinking. It's not a passive exercise and neither is the read. Fisher actually takes you through exercises within the book to get you accustomed to thinking better. A must read for anyone interested in out-thinking competitors, fine tuning your thoughts or merely learning how to become more persuasive in your presentations.

Edward Brown
Core Edge Image & Charisma Institute

Raise your intelligence with this book; the first few chapters will enable the reader to approach information absorbtion likely in a way they perhaps never considered. For others it will confirm their approach to open and thoughtful listening, and go forward with the assurance that they were doing things right. The book is an easy and engaging read, and, my hunch is that it is a classic in this area.

The author takes the reader -- very methodically -- through all the problems and trip-ups of thinking which cause ordinarily smart people to come to pretty stupid conclusions. He also provides "Thinking Maps" so that, once aware of how we can go afoul, we can choose to think in a more disciplined and scientific way. For these reasons, every person, starting at an early age, should have this decidedly academic book as part of their curriculum. In that setting, the exercises to spot sloppy thinking and instead use critical thinking would be wonderful. As an adult, however, reading this book on a treadmill, all the exercises interwoven through the text, slowed me down. It is for this reason that I gave it 4 rather than 5 stars.

I just ordered this book and was immediately put off by the fact that its copyright is 1990 and there is absolutely nothing in here regarding the internet. With email marketing, web sites, email, forums, blogs, you name it... I cant imagine any "how to" book on promoting a workshop not including the power of the internet.

I suppose its a good book, but with no information on web marketing, it has little value for me. It needs a major edit to include internet best practices.

An Excellent book, togather with cases charts and comparisons,The only thing I am sorry about why I didnt buy it before.Although written in the 90s it has some limitations, but if you are in the business, this could really multiply your profits.

I used this as a reference when myself and a professor friend owned a training workshop business. Our business was profitable and this was a good book to have around for reference.

This is a good introductory book for those that need to develop and promote successful seminars and workshops. The book covers what one needs to know about developing a program, market testing, setting the right fees, marketing, promotion, advertising and publicity. The reader is provided with useful practical tips and advice that I have used to good effect.

The book is well written in simple English that is easy to follow and understand. Despite the book being a bit dated, the advice it provides is still relevant and very useful and practical. Even the veteran has something to learn from this excellent book.

Those who wish to capitalize on the growing business of seminars, workshops, conferences and training classes are recommended to read this book for guidance and directions.

While this book gives a good starting point for a seminar newbie, it is quite hampered by its dated material. All statistics and pricing examples are from the late 1980's. There is no recognition anywhere in the book that the Internet exists, PowerPoint can be used in presentations, etc. For instance, you are warned against using carbon copy paper. Hello? Good in 1990, but needs a serious and thorough updating to reflect current trends and technologies.

There's hardly any discussion or debates on strategy or operations in this book, every page is filled with details on the movements of troops, planes and panzers, down to the company level.

If you are into that minuate, then it's a book for you. The book also highlights the singular lack of strategic competence or operative insights in the OKH, a sad reflection on Hitler's propensity to appoint unqualified, armchair fellow South Germans to the post of Chef of the OKH.

This is an absolutely indispensable book for anyone who wants to understand how military decisions were made in Nazi Germany, and what Adolf Hitler was really like as a Supreme Commander. I've been reading books about the Nazis for 25 years and this is the first one which literally puts you, the reader, at "Der Fuhrer's" elbow as he directs his war.

"Hitler & His Generals" is a collection of the surviving transcripts of Hitler's military conferences from the very end of 1942 until the last days of the war in April of 1945. It contains all the transcripts included in the 1956 book "Hitler Directs His War" and new ones subsequently discovered. It also has extremely elaborate end notes (hundreds of pages long) packed with charts, biographical info, history, the context of certain remarks, and so on. A truly massive work more than 1,000 pages in length.

Hitler had ordered the presence of sternographers at his situation conferences during the Stalingrad campaign, when his relationships with his generals were at an all-time low. He believed his orders were not being carried out as he directed and planned to use the transcripts to write his post-war history. 99% of them were destroyed at the end of the war, but the survivors make a fascinating picture of the dictator in action.

The Hollywood version of Hitler is of the carpet-chewing maniac hurling abuse and nonsensical orders at quailing generals. General Guderian in particular described Hitler's tantrums in his own memiors, and unprovoked outbursts of rage were also frequently alluded to by Field Marshal Keitel and others. The transcripts show a different picture of Hitler, the one painted by Speer, who described a leader who radiated calm during the deepest crisis and used sarcasm rather than screaming to express his displeasure. They tend to support Field Marshal Manstein's theory that Hitler's tantrums were much less frequent than is believed and probably simulated (a classic case of the bully who knows who to pick on and who to leave alone).

The transcripts show a lot about Hitler's leadership style and personality. He seemed to have no "long view" and immersed himself soley in tactical details. He possessed tremendous technical knowledge and liked to expound about weaponry, ballistics, construction, and other subjects of a similar nature. His insistence on holding every inch of ground was clearly predicated on a desire to keep the war "on the periphery of the Reich" and he was often worn down and disgusted by demands for "flexible defense" which he equated with retreat.

Hitler frequently digressed into political, ideological and historical discussions which are of great interest to the reader (though they probably bored the hell out of his listeners). Expressions which show his philosophy of life abound -- terror can only be broken by terror, intellect is less important than will-power and strength of character, perserverance and toughness win wars, and so on. Most interestingly, he often spoke about the personalities of various generals and Party leaders, often in sarcastic or disparaging terms, but occasionally with great praise. He regarded Rommel as a great leader in attack, but lacking in tenacity. Manstein he described as a brilliant general but one who could only operate if his divisions were in perfect order. Rosenberg he believed a genius -- "one of the sharpest thinkers on world outlook" -- but like most geniuses, suited better to the classroom than the real world. Halder and Beck are blasted as ivory tower eggheads and defeatists. Hitler's sense of humor is often displayed in such moments. Not surprisingly, it shows a sharply sarcastic streak. At one point, Hitler is told by Sonnleithner: "Concerning Kasche, my Fuhrer, the Foreign Minister has always suggested you replace him, since the Foreign Minister thinks that Kasche is quite a respectible man but in a certain respect obsessed."

Hitler replies: "He is a respectable man. It's just that respectable men go to the dogs as soon as they get into the Foreign Office."

I consider this compilation a "must-have" for anyone who wants to understand how the Nazi war machine was directed, what Hitler really sounded like in unstructured conversation, or how the top Nazis (besides Hitler we hear from Goering, Goebbels, Bormann and numerous ranking generals) interacted with each other as the war turned against them. It radically changed my view of Hitler as a military leader, and I strongly recommend it even if only to see if you have the same reaction.

This is a valuable primary source that has been lacking in English--previously only less complete or German-only versions were published. The editing and transcription and restoration of these transcripts was superb, better than should be expected, and the translation into English, sometimes sloppily done in other works, is just exactly perfect here. The minuses concern what comes before and what comes after. Gerhard Weinberg's sputtering, foaming at the mouth, introduction and comments throughout are execrable. David Glantz's endnotes to the transcripts mean well and could be excellent, but obviously were not at all edited. There is a wealth of information back there (Glantz is a master at this subject), but almost as much dis-information in the form of typos and similar mistakes that any decent editing would/should/will (hopefully?) catch and correct? Ditch the Weinberg rants and edit the Glantz endnotes and this gets five stars--and even so it remains an indispensable primary source for WW2 history.

This manuscript is not worth the money, at least at full price. The advertisement touts this as a record of Hitler's war briefings. But as the other reviewers point out most of the briefings were lost or destroyed during the war. In general, most of the day-to-day briefings are pretty mundane and not overly interesting. About the only good thing to say about the manuscript is that it confirms why the Germans lost the war. I would agree with the other reviewers; there was little grand strategy emanating from Hitler's headquarters. Hitler and his generals to often micro-managed and focused on details that were largely superfluous to the war situation. If you read alot of WWII history you are likely to have arrived at these conclusions already. Thus, I don't believe you'll add much to your knowledge base. If you absolutely have to have it, buy the book at the bargain bin like I did, $1.99-$3 tops (mine's back there now!). If you're a casual reader and want to read about Nazi Germany do not purchase this book! Instead. Read Schirer's Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.

As with other reviewers I found this book to be largely bland and boring. I am sure similar transcripts of American, British, and Soviet conferences (I would love to see some of the Soviet transcripts with Stalin if any exists) would also be pretty bland.

The vast majority of the transcripts were destroyed at the end of the war and these 700+ pages represents only a small minority of the conferences. There are few highlights. The first conference in the book is about the time a crisis was developing in Stalingrad. Shortly thereafter it jumps to a conference where word has just come in stating Field Marshal Paulus had surrendered and the participants were speculating over whether that was true and the Fuhrer declaring he would never appoint another field marshal. (He did appoint others however after that declaration). The transcripts included some planning sessions for what became the Battle of Kursk -- the largest tank battle in history -- and the Germans trying to respond to the overthrow of Mussolini in Italy. There were some planning sessions before and during the Battle of the Bulge. Probably the most interesting remnants, though, were the last conferences in the Berlin Bunker in late Apr 1945. But other key transcripts were missing and are probably gone forever. These include the D-Day invasion, the attempted assassination on 20 Jul 1944, and his last conference before taking his life. But for the most part I would guesstimate that about 90 percent of the book was about troop movements, weapons, and other mundane issues that are discussed at military conferences and briefings -- and not just German conferences in WW II.

These transcripts do not record the actions or atmosphere these conferences transpired in. There are no references to the Fuhrer jumping on a table and screeching obscenities and threats at his staff with veins popping out of his neck. These are just the spoken words of the Fuhrer and his staff in black and white. Most of what his generals and other senior military staff wrote after the war blamed him for what happened to Germany but these transcripts show that he was not quite the lunatic they made him out to be.

In some respects these transcripts offer some vindication for Hitler. Historically he comes off as some kind of lunatic who destroyed his country by refusing to work with his generals. Although he did destroy his country -- and millions of other Europeans along with it -- he comes off as mostly a fairly knowledgeable person. For example the historical image of the man is somebody who in the face of impossible odds refused to order troops to withdraw to better positions. Yet throughout this book Hitler is aware of the situation at the front and often concurs with withdrawals and retreats -- something the Germans did a lot of after 1942.

There were 2029 footnotes that were distracting but mostly important for the reader. There are references to personalities and events that would mean nothing to the reader but meant something to the participants at the time. However it was annoying having to flip between the text and the footnotes at the end of the book. However I cannot think of any better way for the editors to present these notes. I probably read about 10 percent of the footnotes.

Overall this is a good book for history buffs like myself. It was mostly boring but it is good not for its content but for its overall significance in giving a peek into what was going on in the military planning sessions of the Third Reich as it was in full retreat to its ultimate demise.

What can I say, Wavelets explained by Ingrid Daubechies! You can't go wrong.

This is the document that started it all. It is by far a great mathematical and theoritical piece of work. HOWEVER, if you are just starting off and want to learn about wavelets and do not have an advanced math or engineering degree (and I do mean ADVANCED), do not pick up this book. At least not at the beginning. There are much better books written for explaining wavelets and to better present the material. Ten Lectures is essentially one big proof. Try Mallat/Kovacevic or Strang...once you've got a solid understanding, come back to Daubechies and marvel at her work.

This book is a treasure of details if you know what you are doing. As another reviewer noted, it is not for the beginner. But if you have had some experience with the subject this is a must have for your library shelf.

There are so many well written books on Wavelts out nowadays. Don't waste your money on this one. It's famous because it was first (or one of the first). On the positive side, it does present a strong mathematical foundation. I recommend you buy a readable book (just do a search on Amazon.com and you'll find half a dozen great books on Wavelets), then when you approach the "expert" level, use this one a s a reference (if at all).

This book has become a classic,-- and a hit;-- for more than ten reasons. It is multilayered, and yet presents a unity of ideas: The material, and the writing is engaging for the beginner, and for the research mathematician alike. When I used it in my teaching, it was equally popular with the math students, and those from engineering. I don't know if I can say this about any other book I have taught from. The students could follow all the carefully presented proofs, and the engineer could generate algorithms from the applied chapters.

The Book of Blessings (BB) contains a great many blessings for various ocassions, including: birthday blessings, blessing of mothers before/after childbirth, blessing of animals, blessing of mothers/fathers/families, blessing of liturgical/pastoral ministers etc. This great resource recalls the Catholic tradition that God has touched every moment of our lives by his incarnation, and that we are called to be people of blessing.

BB actually highlights the Church's teachings that objects are blessed for the benefit of the people by the way the blessings are structured. The focus is not so much on the object, but on the people who will benefit from the use of the objects, thus emphasizing the faith of the Church that all things are created for the good of human beings. The overt focus on the liturgy of the word might hamper its use at certain ocassions though, and guidelines for the adaptation of rites to particular circumstances could be provided in the coming revision.

Overall, this book produced by the Liturgical Press is beautifully crafted. It uses the NAB with revised NT for its scriptural texts.

This excellent source for various blessings finds its best and most canonically appropriate usage in the hands of ordained clergy rather than the layperson. In this way it resembles such liturgical works as the Lectionary and the full Roman Missal, books which would find little valid and appropriate application within the family. A far more useful book for the home is of course the excellent new edition of the Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers.

The Scriptural passages quoted in this 800 page source of various Catholic Blessings published by the Benedictines of the Liturgical Press in Collegeville MN in 1989 come from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament published by the CCD in 1986. Other sources are the various rituals and books of prayer from the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), as well as the 1973 edition of the Roman Missal.

The Blessings are divided into six parts, plus appendices for the installation of a pastor and of solemn blessings and prayers over the people. I often wonder whether some reviewers have seen completely a text, as we read reviews here which both lament the absence of blessings for objects, and those who find too many. Kindly permit me therefore to as briefly as possible sum up the enormous wealth of blessing herein contained.

Part One contains blessings for persons including various blessings for families, from engagement through elderly confined at home, including childbirth and miscarriage and adoption, as well as for children, sons and daughters. Also herein are found blessings for substance abusers and the addicted, for missionaries and for catechesis of various forms, for students and for Teachers, for interfaith and ecumenical gatherings, for organizations serving public needs, for departing and returning Pilgrims and for other travellers.

Part Two handles Building and other human activities, including new building sites, new homes, schools, seminaries, religious houses, libraries, parish halls, hospitals, offices, shops, factories, gyms and fields, transportation, boats and fishing (one thinks of New Bedford's fleets), tech equipment, tools, animals, fields and flocks, seeds, harvest thanksgiving, athletic events (one thinks of Texas) and meals.

The third Part covers Objects in the Church, including the Font, Lectern, Tabernacle, Chair, Doors, Bells, Organ, the Public Cross, the publicly displayed Images of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary and other saints, the chalice and paten, other articles of liturgical use, Holy Water outside of Mass, the Stations of the Cross and of the cemetery.

The fourth part includes other articles of devotion not directly connected to the Church and eucharistic liturgy, including the Rosary mentioned in another review, religious articles and scapulars, including their conferral. The fifth Part covers Feasts and Seasons, including the Advent Wreath (for this see also the Catholic Household Blessings book mentioned above), the Creche, the Christmas tree, homes at Easter and Christmas, throats on the Feast of Saint Blase (Feb. 3), Ashes for Ash Wednesday, Saint Joseph's table for March 19, the first Easter Meal, mothers at Mother's Day and fathers on Fathers Day, the cemetery at All Soul's Day (Nov. 2), Thanksgiving Day (once a semi-secular national holiday), and other prayers of devotion of food, drink and other "elements."

Part Six includes other and various needs and occassions, including pastoral service, Lectors, altar servers, etc., extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, Parish Council, Parish Societies, New Parishioners, Departing parishioners, inauguration of public officials, Thanksgiving and other various circumstances.

As you can see this 800 page ritual is very comprehensive, and nearly exclusively at the valid use of the ordained. There are adaptations for lay ministers, nevertheless, inclding the consistent alteration of the prayer "The Lord Be With You" which many in the laity are not aware are the exclusive prayers of the ordained priests and deacons. Even religious sisters do not invoke validly this blessing. Thus we read here in place of, for example, "The grace and peace of God, Our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all" with the response "And also with you", we read the lay minister must read not this but as follows:

"The grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with US all now and forever." with the simple response "Amen." as it is not allowed to the unordained layperson to invoke validly any form of "Dominus vobiscum/et cum spiritu tuo." and then claim to follow the teachings of the Magisterium.

It is a joy to find the old devotions we once did but now are so hard to find, such as the blessing of Saint Blase, etc.

This is the official English translation of the Latin "De Benedictionibus" and is the authorized text for Roman Catholic blessings. Some things deserve mention beyond these basic facts, however. In practice I do not see this book receiving widespread use. It will surely be used for those occasions when a bishop blesses a new organ or set of bells for a parish, or when ministers are installed for service...but when an elderly woman wants her rosary beads blessed, I doubt whether any priest will celebrate a Liturgy of the Word with optional singing and general intercessions. Also, scanning these prayers of blessing one often wonders exactly when the objects are blessed...there is a lot of talking about blessing but not much actual explicit blessing...many of the prayers of the former Roman Ritual for blessing were far better from the literary sense and actually conveyed to lay people without a theological training in blessings the idea that their cars-bibles-crosses were actually being blessed.

The new "Book of Blessings" is practically necessary for Catholic ministries, but one might (without the least disrespect for its authors or the Holy See) observe that, unfortunately, it does not represent the fullness of the Catholic tradition.

Page after page the new ritual shies away from actually blessing THINGS, opting instead for prayers that the people who use or see the things will be blessed. One might wonder whether someone's quasi-Manichaean tendencies are not at work here -- the Church, after all, gladly blesses a variety of material creatures (candles, oil, fire, water, palms, etc) in her liturgy without thinking that she thereby makes them into good-luck charms or magical objects. Moreover, the blessing of houses, animals, fields, devotional articles, etc., outside the liturgy is deeply engrained in Catholic tradition. (And speaking of such blessings: it is really necessary to have a liturgy of the Word for every little blessing? This seems like a good idea gotten out of hand!)

Although the B of B is our current official ritual book, one may hope for improvements. Since the whole creation is renewed in Christ, perhaps it is not so wrong to consecrate THINGS to the purposes of the Kingdom.

This book contains rites for blessing all manner of church articles, holy reminders, religous goods and peoples. I am thankfull that this resource is available and is being used. Too many priests, when asked to bless something ignore these approved rites and opt to simply make the sign of the cross over whatever it is they are blessing. Personally I will not go to a priest that does not use the full rite of blessing. I hope you will all like this book as much as I do.

As a liberal and a Pagan, I am often disturbed by what is going on in the United States. I'm no fan of our present administration and I do not trust it. I'm particularly leery of the religious right, for obvious reasons. But the Durban conference scared me even more. I support human rights and I am against racism, but Durban looked to me like it was dominated by right wing racists and religious fanatics who opposed human rights. That was what I thought of how the people there addressed one of their main issues, namely the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Zionism is simply the application of the concept of equal human rights for all to everyone, including the Jews. And that is why I am a Zionist and why I think everyone who supports human rights needs to be a Zionist as well. But the Durban conference and this book both let me down in this regard.

Eric Mann says that there have been "self-defense tactics of suicide bombings, aimed against civilians in the settlements" but that no one has a better alternative. Excuse me? I have a better alternative: don't do it! Stop the incitement, stop the bombings, stop the aggression, and make peace instead!

Mann also says "Like Bush, the Israelis are pursuing a scorched earth diplomatic policy that says, 'the hell with all allies.'" I think he's wrong about that as well. Israel is tiny and wants to survive, and it knows it needs peace and allies to do that. But when it is attacked, it will fight back rather than be destroyed.

I think these comments by Mann make the whole book suspect, both factually and politically. I do not recommend it.

In a time when the US government becomes more aggressive and destructive with people abroad and at home, it is important to read books like Dispatches from Durban that propose what we who live in the US can do to challenge this system. It was good to read a book that has ideas of how we fight today, and though Dispatches does not answer all or have an all encompassing plan, it's a good book that begins the dialog that all people, who fight for justice and freedom in this country, and in the world, can read and understand the problems that we face.

Dispatches from Durban was great!! To think how such an important event like the World Conference Against Racism was given so little or no attention, especially in this country. Even though the US always makes a point to emphasizes how it is a free, democratic country of different races living together, it still will not acknowledge such a historic conference that began to discuss and go into the problems, past and present of Racism. For a government that tries to affirm its inclusiveness and tolerance, the US government delegation could not even stay in a conference that was put on by the United Nations and attended by the world. Not even the European colonizing countries that initiated the racist legacy we live in today did what the US did. What does the US have to Fear, if it has done right by the different racial groups and truly have a peaceful, harmonious multiracial society? Yet with the latest invasion of Iraq, racist propositions in California and actions in the US, it is ever more clear of the continual maintenance of Racist policies, at home and abroad. Dispatches analysis and describes this countries continual perpetration to its own people and those around the world, the importance of the World Conference Against Racism in leading the fight against Racism and how we can build from that event a new radical movement to challenge it.

If you want to understand the origins of racism you should read Wretched of the earth, Malcolm X, Huey P. Newton.

If you want to understand capitalism, read Marx, How Capitalism Underdeveloped Africa, Capitalism and Slavery, The Open Veins of Latin America.

If you want to understand US imperialist policies, read Lenin, Fidel Castro, Chomsky, or Che Guevara.

If you want to fight against all of the above, then dispatches from Durban is a good place to start to understand the present problems that have the roots in the historical realities mentioned. Yet it is necessary to build a movement of resistance that will challenge the oppressive structures based on our understanding of the above and how they have shaped the reality that we face today. Dispathces is that book, in that it presents an argument for resistance within and to the US, and it¡¯s a good one.

Who killed the panthers? Who killed Malcolm x and king? Who has blacks and Latinos locked up in jails? Who has attacked sovereign nations all over the world, in Latin America and now the middle east? Who made a deal with Japan to colonize Korea in exchange for the Philippines? The US government, and it still walks out of the World Conference Against Racism, avoids confronting its past and present actions. If we don't fight and change this system, no one else will. If you want to begin to understand what we are up against and what we can do to confront it, Read Dispatches!