Departments Books

Another reviewer said "If you have had any real problems in life or have a serious chronic illness, do not buy this book". I strongly disagree with her assessment. While I absolutely agree it is always important to remember all of our blessings in life, and how many people are worse off than Natalie was, I don't think that negates other aspects of the story. As someone who has a chronic disease, and the spouse of someone who is, thankfully, in remission from stage 4 cancer, I found many of the emotions in the book very relatable. Often times, many of us are selfish and self-centered and don't appreciate what we have. The disease makes Natalie assess her life and priorities in a way that she never had before. It's not admirable that it took something like the cancer to make her a better friend, and a better person in general, but I think it is fairly realistic. Often times it is not the luxuries in life that makes us happy people, but rather our relationships with others, which Natalie learned to appreciate. It is not easy to recognize that you have been self-centered and, at times, cruel, but Natalie learns to appreciate her mistakes and make better choices. She is obviously deeply flawed, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I think Allison Winn Scotch wrote a very authentic and moving story of one women's battle with cancer and the changes it inspired her to make.

A friend passed along this book, not advising its topic, and I usually remove book jackets and jump right in. The night I finished the book I emailed AWS, commenting on her thank you to the women who shared their stories with her. While I wasn't one of those women, she certainly told my story. Thankfully, my breast cancer was caught early but MY television show was The Ellen Show, sometimes Regis and Kelly if I awoke early enough, and I, too, took a trip to the Ellen Show in celebration of the completion of my chemo and radiation after my lumpectomy. AWS emailed me back the next day, thanking me for validating her efforts, and shared that a friend of hers had recently suffered through breast cancer (and passed away, if my memory is correct.) I'm a forever fan!

A story about a 30 year-old cancer patient unaccustomed to struggling in life, though she's worked hard, and her journey to finding health, strength, and self-awareness. Natalie was a character that I was pulling for from the first page. As she learns why her relationships with men have never worked out she begins to grow. Being forced to stay away from work she remembers why she wanted the job in the first place, and realizes that the job no longer accomplished what she wanted. This story of a flawed person finding the strength to not only go through a health crisis, but flourish in her personal life, was well-written and very enjoyable.

Absolutely loved this book! Read it in 1 week, which is pretty unusual for me, being that I also have to read college text books daily & have a full-time job & a husband & child.
A light-hearted & funny way to look at a potentially deadly illness. Made me laugh & cry. The heroine is easy to relate to.
What a great debut!

While this book is well written and engaging in many ways (and the divergence into "The Price Is Right" entertaining), I had a few problems with it. And not just because its heroine, Natalie Miller, is designed to be one of those unsympathetic protagonists, and maybe is even more so to me because she grew up a child of privilege (I didn't), is an ex-Ivy Leaguer and sorority girl (I'm not), and has a very tony job working for a NY senator (I don't) that allows her to wear shoes that cost in the three figures (etc.). She's also hard as nails and appears to have no conscience and no life beyond her work, and to have an ambition to someday become President because...well, she would love to be President. My issue with her is that this novel uses the experience of breast cancer to transform its unsympathetic protagonist from Ms. Hardass into Ms. Wonderful, and in some ways, the transformation is just a bit too magical for me.

Sure, Natalie has to cope with fatigue and depression and feeling ugly and out of sorts. Yes, she has to cope with feeling that she's falling behind at work and being left out of the loop. And she has to deal with losing her old body and getting used to a new one, from breasts to weight to hair. And yes, she even has to stare down the possibility of her own death if all of her efforts fail. Through these trials, she does become a more sympathetic and empathetic person. One more human and principled, who has learned to value what really matters, and how to tell people without values where they can stick it. She also becomes more able to reach out and ask for help when she needs to. And yeah, she learns to smoke pot, which I guess is supposed to be some kind of a virtue (whatever).

However, she also becomes someone whose biggest romantic dilemma is whether to stay with her returned ex, an up-and-coming rock star who's always abandoning her for a gig, or to fall for the Dr. McDreamy who seems to be falling for her (for no particular reason other than his admiration of how she's fighting her disease) yet allows himself to be manipulated into restarting a dead relationship with one of her friends (why? Is he so much of a wimp that he can't just say no?). In other words, when it comes to romance, we should all be so miserable...This stuff touches on fantasy fulfillment a bit, and makes me question whether some of her decisions are so wise. Is one man so terrible for her because the Stones invited him to tour with them and he wants to go? Is the other so wonderful, considering that he's letting himself get led around by the nose by an ex he doesn't seem to love anymore? Also, Natalie mentions a few times that she is looking for her "alpha." I wonder what she means by this: her "alpha and omega," as in, her be-all and end-all? Should anyone be that to anyone else? Or her "alpha person" or "alpha male," so she can just meekly follow behind while he takes the lead? She doesn't even seem like a person who wants to follow someone. One wonders why such a strong-personalitied woman would want to follow an even stronger-personalitied man. (In any case, it doesn't seem as if either of these men fit that description, or as if it would be good if they did.)

But finally, the flaw that most concerns me about this novel is that it maintains the non-cancer-sufferer's myth of the cancer patient as more brave and courageous than everyone else. From what I read in the interview with the author included at the end of my edition, she was inspired to write it by a friend who died of breast cancer. After I finished the book, I wasn't surprised to find that she was an onlooker to the breast cancer experience rather than someone who had experienced it herself, because if she was, she'd know better. She'd know that fighting cancer doesn't mean you're brave or courageous; it's just something you're doing because you have it, and the only other alternative is letting it take its course and dying, so you fight it. Natalie asks early in the book whether she isn't just doing what she has to do, but the question is never answered; at the end, we're left with the impression that she is indeed brave and courageous, and that her positive attitude has made a difference. In fact, she tells us, studies show that a positive attitude helps patients beat cancer. The truth is quite the opposite: studies are showing that positive attitudes DON'T necessarily improve survival rates. I feel that the author, while trying to pay tribute to her friend by telling the story of a cancer patient in first-person form, didn't pay her quite fair tribute by painting her as more of a heroic figure than she probably would have painted herself. Also, she gives the misleading impression that a breast cancer patient in remission is officially out of the woods after five years without a recurrence. That is true of other cancers, but breast cancer is not like that; technically, it can recur at any time, even if some forms of it are less likely to return than others. And that would be a fact that Natalie, as a younger person at diagnosis with a more aggressive form of cancer, would have to live with for the rest of her life. She's never shown here contemplating how this might affect her, her relationship with a man (it doesn't seem to worry the guys she's with at all), or her dreams to become President someday (can you imagine how her opposition would hype her unfitness for office by emphasizing that she might have a recurrence?).

The author mentions that this book isn't really about the experience of breast cancer, it's about the experience of self-transformation, and that the protagonist's breast cancer is merely used here as a catalyst to get that self-transformation process in motion. Maybe that's the problem, right there. I had hoped I'd be reading a book about breast cancer, and this book isn't really about breast cancer, it's about a woman in need of a life makeover. Breast cancer is merely the trigger that forces her to make over her life. If you're looking for a story about a woman who's happy with her life as it is and doesn't want breast cancer to change it, or one who's trying to deal with breast cancer at the same time as she's coping with other serious problems in her life (and I mean stuff more serious than "my boyfriend is dumping me" or "my boss might lose the election"), or one who has breast cancer whose problems involve not only getting better but also paying the treatment bills, best look elsewhere.

An interesting sidelight of this book is that it's about a woman who works for a fictional woman senator from New York, and one wonders whether the character of Senator Dupris is based on any real-life person we might know. Especially given that one of Senator Dupris' favorite phrases is "I'm in it to win it," and that she seems to have no moral compunctions and to be willing to do whatever is politically expedient. Perhaps her resemblance to any persons living or dead is, as they always say, entirely coincidental. I guess only the author knows for sure!

To wrap up: Yes, this is a story of breast cancer as Life-Transforming Experience for somebody who badly needs one. The danger? It perpetuates the idea that breast cancer can actually be a good thing, because it can make you change your life. Yes, it can (although it needn't), but it can also END your life. Maybe it would have been better if Natalie had just gotten canned by that senator at the beginning of the book. She could have had the same Life-Transforming Experience without any of the threat to her life--and she would've gotten to keep her breasts, too.

I tried to use this but the book was super thick and I just couldn't get into it, I used an online interactive study guide instead and I scored a 26 on my ACT. My sister did well with this book, the only difference between us is I have ADHD and she doesnt.

From the picture this books looks manageable, but when I received it it was HUGE. I have yet to open it because there is so much information (which is good or bad). If your looking for a really extensive ACT book here you go. If not get the CliffsTestPrep ACT (Cliffs Test Prep ACT).

This certainly ranks up there. My other choices for 2007, hands down:

1) How To Ace Your Way Through College & Still Have a Life
2) The MLA Handbook
3) Fiske Guide to Colleges

Dr. Vernon M
Cambridge, MA

This edition is two years old, so don't buy this one but do get this book! Amazon has two listings for this book--one is for the new edition. I agree with the other reviewers that the primary benefit of this book is the 3 practice tests with detailed answer explanations provided. The book offers limited advice on how to best improve on its various sections--especially the science section where many students feel extremely rushed. But the practice tests are worth the price of the book.

I bought 4 books to prepare for my ACT exam (Princeton Review (Cracking the ACT, 2007 Edition), Kaplan ACT 2007 Comprehensive Program, McGraw-Hill's 10 ACT Practice Tests, and The Real ACT Prep Guide). I found the Real ACT Prep Guide to be the best one as it has three real practice exams at the end (as close as u can get to the real exam).As far as the preparation material provided for preparation, it is not as good as Kaplan's or Princeton's. i would rate the four books as follows:

1.The Real ACT Prep Guide. -- the practice papers at the end of the book are real ACT exams.

2.Kaplan ACT 2007 Comprehensive Program --(The practice papers are as difficult as the real ACT exam (but defenitly not as close as the rela exam)and the preparation material provided is also good but they dont have any sample essays to crack the writing test)

3.Princeton Review (Cracking the ACT, 2007 Edition)-- (the preparation material provided is the best compared with the Kaplan and the real ACT books and the papaers at the end are comparable with the Kaplan's.)

4.McGraw-Hill's 10 ACT Practice Tests -- the 10 papers are a good practice but they are comparitively easier than the real exam.

If you plan to buy just one book to prepare for the ACT exam then you should buy The Real ACT Prep Guide.

Cute. That would be the best word to describe this short, particularly sweet memoir. Going into it, I was waiting for vast accounts of the inner workings of one of the most fantastic stores ever to exist. The tome is more character driven than tell-all, which I would assume stems from the era the author comes from (that is, polite and loyal). I could have done without the dozens of "Ohmygosh!"s that were sprinkled quite liberally throughout the narrative - it was distracting, irritating, and took away credibility from the writer. The naive charm still held me captive, though: I received a glimpse of a time where girls still wore gloves and hats, were polite and charming, and treated everyday as if it were a glamorous event. The backdrop of World War Two gave the book more depth, thankfully, for without it the story would have drooped from saccharine sweetness. The descriptions of the now-antiquated stores and sweetshops were divine, and the cameos from celebrities like Marlene Dietrich and Judy Garland were quite nice, as well. (Watch out for the sub-plot with Yale...it felt like a forced dilemma for the main character and also quite unrealistic). All in all, I loved seeing New York as it never will be again, especially after 9/11. A lovely look inside a rare moment of time, this book will most definitely cheer you up. That's all it's really there for, I guess. Charming.

Not to be confused with the infamous Holly Golightly caper, this charming tale takes us back to the turquoise corridors of Tiffany, where jewels twinkle and customers include Marlene Dietrich and Judy Garland. This time, the heroines are two Iowa-bred "long-limbed, blue eyed blondes" who are traveling to Manhattan to find summer work. The catch? The hordes of other hungry co-ed girls hellbent on the same glamorous goal.

Far from pretentious fare like Nichole Ritchie's "The Truth about Diamonds," this memoir of two college girls hoofing it into Manhattan in search of summer work is a career girl's tale at heart. From their initial dizzy hysteria of job hunting, to working the mysterious connections of a family friend, the story perfectly captures the plummeting feeling of job rejection, and the giddy glee of being hired for even the most menial tasks when set in glamorous Manhattan. With this mindset, Marjorie and her best friend Marty become the first-ever female store pages for Tiffany, delivering packages to the shipping and receiving department. The irony that they work among glittering diamonds and pearls on a salary of $20 is not lost on them, even in 1945 when the book is set.

Indeed, this is period literature, but only in the most lightly pleasing way. From dancing the Charleston to Frank Sinatra's "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" to scrambling on her hands and knees to recover the precious pearls that have spilled all over the elevator floor on her way to the Tiffany Diamond and Pearl room (yes, it's real), Hart is a charming heroine whose adventures equal an endearing coming-of-age tale, wrought with Tiffany glamour and winsome World War II overtones.

The overall result is a book that is special, light-hearted without being shallow, and perfectly satisfying as a summer beach read. If you want summer reading but need a break from stilettos and cosmopolitans, this little blue jewel of a book will transport you in no time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, fun to hear about life during the 40's and what New York City was like back then. Fun book to read!

This memoir of working as one of the first women on the sales floor at Tiffany & Co. was informative and sweet, but a bit dull. It's an easy read and definitely suitable for a young adult reader. If you like stories about New York and "career girl" narratives you might enjoy it. I'd hoped for a bit more.

The summer of '45 was full of discoveries for the author: New York City, the elegance of Tiffany's, the euphoric end to WWII, happenings with friends, and meeting a beau. Well-written picture of the times. A really fun read - highly recommended.

This book is a useful tool for anyone completing graduate school applications. Although some of the suggestions/tactics seem a bit flowery, it provides a general overview of some helpful techniques (e.g., contacting potential faculty mentors, securing letters of recommendation, etc.). Specifically, I found the large section of sample personal statements to be quite helpful. In short, I wouldn't consider this book a "must-have", but, when compared to other comparable publications, it appears to be the best of the bunch.

This is a solid book that contained just what I was looking for. It gives good tips on how to approach the graduate application process and contact professors. Then it goes into tips for writing a statement of purpose.

Good book for a small price.

I still haven't finished reading this book, but so far it has helped a great deal with most of my doubts as to what to do when applying for a master's in the US.

I bought this book because I wasnt quite sure where to start with my essays. The year before I felt my personal essay was lacking and I didnt get into graduate school. This year with the advice the book gave as well as a jumping point to start my essay's, I was accepted to 8 out of 9 graduate schools where I applied and chose to go to the number 2 school for my field! This book is worth looking at if you dont know where to start with your essays. You need to remember that other people are looking at it which is giving them the edge up so if you arent looking at it yours will just be boring!

This is the most comprehensive guide to each step of the grad school application process. Not only does Don offer great tips for writing an essay, he outlines several PROVEN methods to set your application apart. Best of all, this guide is easy to read & very entertaining. If you're thinking about applying to grad school, this is a MUST read!

I borrowed this book from the local library, having only a vague idea who Terry Pratchett is. I couldn't put it down. It bounces along at a great pace, is incredibly funny (with lots of literary and historic references that most people would be familiar with, just to add to the humour).
So, having read it and enjoyed it so much, I decided to buy it to pass around family and friends.
The copy I received is in excellent condition, and it arrived well ahead of the expected delivery date.
A good, fun read!

This was a very enjoyable read. I loved that all three books were in the same cover as it meant no wait for the "next installment" and saves money! The story is good, not as good as the Discworld Books in my opinion, but entertaining all the same. It would be a good read for children over 10 I think but it is important to remember that he is an English Author and so some of the phrases, words and ideas are English. The story isn't difficult to follow nor is it heavy on detail, its an easy read. I don't think I will be able to go into any store without thinking of the Nomes!

Terry's Pratchett's Bromeliad Trilogy is at once insightful, extremely funny, and a darn good adventure.

It's a fast and fun can't put it down kinda read. Congratulations Pratchett - this one is a masterpiece.

My husband loves Pratchett, but I just never got around to reading any of his books. Then one day, while waiting for my son to pick out a book, I picked this up and WHAM! I was lost in the story.

Masklin is hilarious and I even found myself saying, 'Arnold Brothers, established 1905'(or whenever it was) just like the gnomes from the store.

I thought at first this would be a horrible mish mash of puns and gimmicks, for example, the garden gnomes and the funny religion that is based around them. But no, there is a story here, an interesting story and a struggle to survive that is engrossing and kept me glued to the book for two, very short days.

I love the way the story draws in all the separate threads at the end. The frogs in the flowers, big people, the mysterious black box.

Just writing this review makes me want to read this book again.

A witty fairy tale with plenty of action and wit, written for children but thoroughly absorbing for adults. Be careful: it skewers organized religion.

The title offers the key to the MBA application process: Marketing.

1) Treat your application as a whole with each part adding a new piece to the jigsaw puzzle. Naturally, you must know the product (you) and the customer (school/admissions committee).

2) Know yourself. Determine your positioning statement first. What is the major theme that will pervade your application? What makes you different from the other 10,000+ Harvard applicants?

3) Know the school. Learn as much as you can about the schools. Each of them has a different market position and culture. You have to get past the information on the website or else you will bore the admissions committee to sleep. Visit the schools and talk to alumni.

4) Good tips on writing: keep it simple, write colorfully, edit mercilessly. (chapter 7)

5) 42 pages of essays, but if you want to see a lot of essays, read Richard Montauk's HOW TO GET INTO THE TOP MBA PROGRAMS (over 90 essays from 30 different people).

As other reviewers mentioned, this book is not a bad place to start, but it is terribly outdated - no mention of the internet.

If you skip over the parts where they tell you things like set aside time to call the school and request materials, this book is great. A new edition that recognizes the advent of that thing called a computer and its friend the internet, and this book would be five stars. Very valuable information.

My only warning is : don't think that with this kind of books you will get a seat in a top business school.

This book is a useful tool to organize your postulation, the other "recipes" are not valuable.

As a agenda, it is a good book.

THis book is useful but it is somehow outdated. I wish that the authors would write a new version that would be more up-to-date. I have the impression that the rules of the game have a bit changed.

This book covers many of the same ideas that Richard Montauk's book does: how to position yourself to business schools, the importance of knowing the school, etc. However, the advice is outdated with much of the advice written in reference to the early 1990s when the authors attended HBS. Further, most of the advice is given in the form of critiquing the essays of others, which is a somewhat tedious way to get the message.

I think that the Montauk book does a better job of addressing the positioning/marketing issues, and Montauk has is a more robust treatment of the rest of the application process. Save your money and skip this book.

Viewed from the other side of the country, STRONG OF HEART by Commissioner Thomas Von Essen is an engaging insight into the life & times of the FDNY & the cataclysm of 9/11.

For those of us outside the furor which apparently is raging over Von Essen's memoirs, STRONG OF HEART is a worthy read of one man's memories rich with inside details of the way it was at Ground Zero from someone in the thick of it. From helicopter rides to the hundreds of wakes; from telling hundreds of bereaved families; from making errors in identification; from rubbing shoulders with rescuers, presidents, mayors & journalists, from one of the few survivors whose life work has been transformed by that dreadful day.

Complete with some profound photos.

RebeccasReads recommends it highly.

I will make this review short and to the point. Commissioner Von Essen had the potential for a great book, but something was lost along the way. For one thing, there is really no mention of the '93 WTC bombing in here. Even if he may have had a small part to play in it, that is a pretty significant part of the history of the FDNY. I would have liked to have seen the Commish write a little more about Ray Downey and some of the other people he talks about in the book, but that is my personal preference. I was disappointed with the inclusion of the Commish's notes from the days following September 11th......I was not sure what to make of them, but I mostly thought the publishers needed to fill some space. This may or may not be true. If you want to read another account of the FDNY response to September 11th, then please get this book.

I found this book to be both interesting and sad. A real tribute to the brave souls lost on not only 9-11 but during the Fire Commisioners term in office.I cant imagine being in his place!
I thought this book read fast and am glad I read it.God Bless the souls lost on 9-11 and God Bless America

I thought this book was great.I have read other books that tie into Sep. 11 and found this one to be a real tribute to so many people who were a part of that historical day.I also got to know what goes thru a mans mind who has to deal with such tragedy.There are lite moments in this book that I felt made it so very real and honest and tragic moments that made it the same.I am very glad I read it!!

Tom von essen was the only member of the Fire Dept to run away from the disaster of 9/11. He is seen on national TV with his cerimonial turnout coat and helmet. three days later he is seen , with the President in a battered helmet and coat showing burn marks of a real firefighting veteran.
This book ,like that vision is filled with half truths and lies from a man who has no shame.
A man who has always capitalized on the working heros of the FDNY and tried to run a Department when he addmits that he couldn,t pass the fire Lt. test. We question what happened to all the unfavorable reviews sent to amazon.com

This is not my usual kind of reading matter -- for some reason, I have never been attracted to biographies. However, this book was recommended by Bill Hybels (of the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit, GLS) when he interviewed Powell in 2007 on his approach to leadership. The interview at the GLS was really good, and the book kind of hovered on my radar until I bought it recently.

Well, it turns out that the Powell book is really good! To be more accurate, it is not so much a biography as a leadership book based on the life and experience of Powell, who has had a remarkably successful career as a leader by any standards. In Harari's words: "The lessons in this book constitute a clear strategic, philosophical, value-based, and ethical blueprint by which Powell leads". Some of the discussion is (understandably) somewhat militaristic, but Harari does a good job of bringing the principles out.

The book distills Powell's "leadership principles" and presents them clearly and succinctly, together with examples from Harari's experience and other sources. These pithy leadership principles are memorable and direct, making this an easy book to put into practice.

A great quote from Powell himself, which sums up his leadership philosophy rather well: "Leadership is not rank, privilege, titles, or money. It is responsibility".

Recommended for anyone interested in developing their leadership skills.

I read this book twice and found it to hold many solid principles regarding leadership and management. I highly recommend this book as an easy to read, informative, no B.S. source for anyone who is in or desires to ascend to a leadership position within their organization. Since reading this I have purchase 6 additional copies and distributed them to my first line supervisors.

This was a great quick read for leaders in any setting. I found that it outlined some practices I already employed and didn't realize the significance of. I liked it so much I am sharing the concepts at a leadership conference for student leaders on Saturday.

Author Owen Harari does a phenomenal job of outlining what Colin Powell believes makes a good leader. What is interesting to note is that Powell is in no way affiliated with this book, so all of the information (lists, quotes, etc.) came from outside sources. He gets the bulk of his information from interviews with Powell as well as articles written in nationally-circulated newspapers. This undoubtedly took an incredible amount of research and it certainly paid off in terms of how the book came together.

The book is broken into 3 parts; and from there, each part is divided into chapters. The first part is entitled "Powell as Provocateur," the second is titled "Powell on Strategy and Execution," and the third part is entitled "The Powell Character." Each chapter has to do with the part that it is contained it. One of my only critiques on the book is that it doesn't seem to fuse together his thoughts on Powell as a man and Powell as a leader. He goes into great detail about each, but he fails to make the connection between the two.

It is my belief that the book played out in strategic fashion. For reasons unknown to me, some in the media have painted Powell as a firm man, but has a tendency to be pushed around a little. Perhaps it's because of his relationship to Bush and Cheney. Regardless, Harari set the tone for this book in the opening chapter entitled, "Know When To Piss People Off." This instantly dispelled the absurd rumor of Powell being soft.

This would make a great gift for anyone you know in a position of power. In addition to effectively outlining the traits required of good leader, there are plenty life lessons to be learned from the text. Powell's occasional stories from his military days seem to perfectly compliment the author's words on what makes Powell a strong, effective, and efficient leader.

A great read overall.

The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell, by Oren Harari, is a very insightful book about the leadership principles that guide former Secretary of State Colin Powell. There are numerous leadership lessons contained in the book. It is clear that Mr. Powell has an intuitive ability to provide leadership and to make good decisions, even when they are the tough decisions to make. Harari depicts these lessons in an easy to read, and easy to understand fashion. Though much of the book details Mr. Powell's leadership in military or high-level political interactions, the ideas translate into any form of leadership and business.

There are so many examples of Mr. Powell making excellent choices which served to enhance his ability as a leader. I found myself wondering if his style of leadership could be learned, or if it was just a gift. One of the many leadership lessons that Harari imparts is that leadership is - in Powell's case and everyone else's - a learned trait. He states that "leadership skills are learned, and wisdom is the result of many years of hard knocks, false starts, and trial and error." This is a comforting thought for those of us striving to further enhance our leadership skills. There are many methods that Mr. Powell employs to inspire his people to work with him, and to work for him. One of these areas is the importance of optimism. Not blind optimism, but in enthusiasm and high expectations. He believes that if you lower your expectations, or set the bar too low, that is what you will meet, as that is what you are aiming for. If; however, you aim high in an optimistic manner, you are likely to reach those heights. Rather than relying simply on an optimistic approach, Mr. Powell believes in keeping records of achievements and even areas to improve, in this way, the optimism he espouses is proven rather than looked on as mere rhetoric.

One of the chapters that I did not expect dealt with the need to have fun at work, and to stay balanced with your family life. The areas of family, fun, and getting away from the job are often overlooked when it comes to discussions of leadership. There were excellent reminders in this book about the morale raising value of getting away and enjoying your time off. Too often people equate "at the workplace" hours to quality when the same quality might be achieved in a more efficient fashion. There are truly some words of wisdom in this book. I personally enjoyed the discussion about the value of a sense of humor at the workplace. Too often we get caught up in taking ourselves too seriously. The best way to have some fun, as the book states, is to take the job seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously.

Covering a multitude of issues from involving everyone in the "change" process, rewarding your best performers, and getting rid of mediocre performers; Powell also believes in being loyal up, down, and sideways. Harari suggests that by following Powell's leadership style, one can attract the best talent, and the most creative talent. By allowing for innovation and pushing the envelope, a leader can expect to keep things moving forward rather than settling on what has worked in the past. Harari provides insight into the "Powell Way" which requires character, courage, sacrifice, loyalty, and selflessness among other attributes.

This excellent book closes with an appendix entitled: Quotations from Chairman Powell: A Leadership Primer, in which Harari lists a series of quotes regarding leadership and management from Powell, with Harari's "civilian" take on the information. This, in itself, is a very valuable section.

An Excellent book that is worth a 5 star rating.

The book is about 500 pages. Usually it takes me 3 weeks to read 500 pages, I don't read fast anymore. This book took me one week to read, enough said.

I hadn't read a Watergate book in a long time because I got tired of the same old themes: Mitchell:bad; Nixon:bad; Dean: hero; end of story, no need to read anything else. Whenever a historical opinion is unanimous, especially from American media, my skeptical antennae raise up.

It took 35 years, but finally an author, James Rosen has shed new light on the Watergate scandal. Take note, John Dean, you have been exposed as the fraud that you are. How dare you make money on writing books about government corruption these days. The author James Rosen has exposed you as
1. Probably the prime authorizer of the Watergate break-in itself, and if not, certainly the final "pusher" that motivated Magruder, Liddy to order/execute the final June 17th break-in.
2. Definitely the head honcho and motivator of the coverup, and all phases of it, including hush money, rehearsal of perjured testimony, clemency. Dean, you were not just the "messenger" as you have desperately portrayed yourself as. You were the arhitect.
3. You railroaded John Mitchell, you disloyal coward.

Well, John Dean, because of this book, finally, we're all onto you. You are not a hero. You, not John Mitchell, are a major criminal in history, who was just shrewd enough to turn stool-pigeon at the right time, before anyone else did, and got off scot-free. You are living proof that justice is not perfect.

As a teen, I remember watching the Watergate hearings. When it came to Mitchell's testimony, I was surprised. Here was not the mean, obnoxious, power-driven, angry man that the media had "built". I saw a calm, humorous-at-times, apparently decent man. I remember thinking to myself, either this guy is the greatest actor of all-time, or somebody has the story wrong. Well, James Rosen has substantiated my hunch. Please note that he doesn't exonerate John Mitchell from all wrongdoings. But he does a complete job of setting the record straight. Mitchell wasn't guilty of a heckuva lot of what they said he was, but he was guilty of a couple of things.

One cannot know Watergate without reading this book.

Besides Watergate, the sad story of his marriage to Martha Mitchell is given in great detail, along with earlier aspects of John Mitchell's life.

I heartily recommend this book if you have any kind of open-mind towards history, and are willing to read something other than the "official" conclusions that have been blasted in our faces till now. Well done book.

reads like a novel. Also, a great lesson, pay attention to current events. Things are never what they seem to be at the moment. Should be in every classroom. Why isn't history taught this way? It would be much easier for individuals to make adult political decisions.The Strong Man: John Mitchell and the Secrets of Watergate

I was 22 when Watergate broke. I thought I knew a lot, I was wrong. No matter how much you think you may know about the Nixon era, until you read this book, you have no idea. Well researched, using unpublished material, you will enter the world of the Joint Chiefs spying on Kennedy and Johnson to things Liddy proposed you would never believe. Read it, you'll learn a lot.
William R. Bagwell

This is a very accessible book to anyone interested in the workings of government, and the bizarre power relationships between those who worked for an administration. Without skimping on details, James Rosen weaves the reader though the confusing paths of Mitchell's story, and the stories of Nixon's inner circle.

Outside of his better balancing my opinion of the man I and 98% of the country saw as evil incarnate in 1973 (myself at the tender age of 16), I think Rosen's biggest contribution here is the clear descriptions of the the Watergate scandal itself and its cousins the ITT/Dita Beard, and Robert Vesco scandals. Good historic information, not really covered as well by other authors.

very concise guide which covers the majority of the 4 year colleges. testing data is very good. like the arrangements which tell which colleges are good for specific majors.

No better source exists, even online, for those in search of the college or colleges that offer majors, minors or coursework in disparate subjects. If you have a child who wants to major in 'cognitive studies' and minor in 'creative writing,' changes her/his mind six months later to a double major in 'electrical engineering' and 'urban planning,' and you think there may be more changes coming before the final decisions are made of where to apply and where to attend, this is a book you'll want to live with for a couple of years.

This is the book my son's guidance counselor went to when he told her what he was interested in studying in college. We used the lists over and over when deciding where to look. It is a great cross reference guide. Finally, I decided to buy the book, which I will use in our next college search.

It is a good concise reference of the best college courses availible through out the USA. It also highlights the SAT and ACT requirements for those said colleges/courses.

Rugg's recommendations is a comprehensive list service, with accompanying statistics for the colleges. It is well prepared but BEWARE! This is a reference tool for high school guidance offices rather than a primer for parents and students going through the search process. The summary of the book is misleading and I purchased it, thinking it would help my son and I to become more familiar with the colleges.I gave the bok to the guidance counselor and he is using it as a reference.
I recommend the Fiske Book of Colleges, or a similar publication that contains very informative explanations for each college and also contains the statistics the Rugg's book contains.