Departments Books

The book arrived in the estimated time and in the condition advertised by this seller.

This book is an outstanding history of the four year process necessary to introduce meaningful reforms of the command structure into the U.S. Defense Establishment. The process involved courageous champions from the military services, equally courageous and bipartisan senators and congressman, and dedicated and knowledgeable legislative staffers. It is a story of persistence and dedication to the cause of reform in the U.S. Military.

In the wake of WWII the U.S. Congress passed the 1947 National Security Act. This act was meant to unify the U.S. Defense Establishment and enhance inter-service cooperation. Unfortunately, the military services, especially the U.S. Navy, pushed back hard and in the end were able to maintain their services autonomies within the newly created Defense Department and Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). In the same way the so-called unified commands were unified in name only. And most seriously the command and control (C2) system under the Act was so convoluted that it contributed to the repeated breakdown of military C2 systems and tragically led to a lot of preventable U.S. military casualties.

Locher provides what appears to be an accurate and authentic history of the execution of a complex process to reform the command structure of the U.S. Military. He also notes that two military officers, General David Jones and Admiral William Crowe were willing to rise of above service parochialism to strongly support this process. But it is the late Senator Berry Goldwater and Senator Sam Nunn of the SASC who Locher singles out for specific praise. Both men put national security well ahead of partisan politics and joined with Representative Bill Nicholls to build a comprehensive reform bill. Yet it was the SASC staff that actually made the reform process move forward. In the end the reformers prevailed and the Goldwater-Nichols act became law. The changes it introduced were important and clearly needed. Both the positions of Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the JCS were considerably strengthened and the military C2 system immensely improved.

The U.S. Navy was strongly opposed to the reform movement and argued that it would destroy the competency of all four services. It would be easy to pillory the Navy as an obstructionist and parochial institution, but Locher does not do this. He is even handed and fair throughout this book. In truth hard fought though the battle over reform was there were no villains of the same magnitude as the two heroes of the story Goldwater and Nunn. The only person in this tale that comes off somewhat dubious is John Lehman then Secretary of the Navy who is portrayed as both devious and disloyal.


This book is an important contribution to the history of the U.S. Military Establishment and Locher did an excellent job. But the book is more than that. It is a blueprint showing how reform can be implemented against large and bureaucratically entrenched organizations. The U.S. Intelligence Community comes immediately to mind.

Fantastic case study of Congress in action. Without tooting his own horn too much, Locher presents a great first person account of how the Goldwater-Nichols Act (GNA) became law and made the US stronger. This amazing achievement occurred despite a bitter Navy, a stone-walling Secretary of Defense (Weinberger), and a non-committal President (Reagan). Due to a strong bi-partisan relationship between Senators Nunn and Goldwater (among many others in Congress), this needed piece of legislation became law. Locher tells the story from his perspective as a staffer for the Senate Armed Services Committee. So perhaps the House side is a little less than thorough. Locher also points out the negative aspects of all those who opposed GNA. Still, Locher is fairer than most people when they are fully committed to a seriously important change in law. Most interesting to me was reading how ineffective Weinberger was as SecDef. He was so unwilling to negotiate that he became largely irrelevant and he missed out on any number of opportunities to have a serious impact on GNA. Locher would probably be the first to say that GNA did not fix all of the problems with the military regarding cooperation in taking on serious missions, but GNA has certainly helped.
Along with Showdown at Gucci Gulch and The System, this is one of three great policy process case studies. Most importantly, it shows how Congress can have a strong influence on the military, foreign policy, and America's national security - even in areas that are normally considered to be the president's prerogative.

My rating is in the middle because the book should be required reading for anyone who wants to know how Goldwater-Nichols came about, however, at the same time, it is extremely biased in its delivery, analysis and conclusions. The author was appointed by Senators Nunn (D) and Goldwater (R) to be the senior reorganization staffer who, "led the team that helped congress 'get smart' on this complex but critically important subject." Because of Locher's involvement from the Act's beginning through to its approval, which gives him unique insight, he has a vested interest in presenting his justifications for the Act in a positive light. This is best seen in his portrayals of the principals involved; those who supported reform are heroes who were not afraid to stand up to the establishment and the institutionalized bureaucracy. Those who opposed Goldwater-Nichols were more interested in their own power and often presented emotional rather than factual or issues based arguments.

Unfortunately, the book was published in 2002, which means the work was done before the US invasion of Iraq in 2003; it would be interesting to see his analysis of the relationship between the SECDEF and the JCS now.

Bottom line: if you're interested in how Goldwater-Nichols evolved, buy the book; I did, and I have no regrets. But read it with a (big) grain of salt.

I bought this book at the Army War College after hearing its author speak to the Army Strategy Conference on "Rebalancing the Instruments of National Power." I have posted 29 pages of notes at Earth Intelligence Network, with a page or two from Jim Locher's brilliant luncheon presentation.

Having spent the evening with this book, and with an understanding of what the Project on National Security Reform will be providing to the next President of the United States, I found the book totally inspiring, and most important for what it represents as proof that "Phase II" of national security reform is not just possible, but likely in 2009.

A few highlights:

1) The service chiefs fought this bitterly, to include lies and deceptions and fabricated studies.

2) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Jones, and later Crowe, get high praise for having the gumption to call for reform in the first case, and agree with reform in the second, but they were virtual outcasts for doing so.

3) Senator Sam Nunn will be back. As I look at the make-up of the Project, which also benefits from Newt Gingrich's brilliance and his mastery of history and House protocol, I have a very strong feeling that the follow-on to Goldwater-Nichols, a National Security Act of 2009, is not just viable, but undefeatable.

4) I've known Jim Locher as a thoughtful and courteous person for over a decade, and this book confirms my personal view that he is one of the most loyal, dedicated, intelligent, and responsible individuals we have, totally committed to public service in the purest sense of the word. The reviewer who demeans the author has no basis, in my view, for his negative judgement.

I have just one worry: everyone is beginning to realize that neither John McCain nor Barack Obama have a strong bench, and at the same time everyone I talk to seems to believe they will repeat the long-standing mistake of seeking to implement a single-party executive. This they must not be allowed to do. Please visit Reuniting America to understand the concept of Transpartisanship, in which ALL parties (including Libertarians, Reforms, Greens, and others) share leadership positions so that we might harness the COMPLETE distributed intelligence of the entire Nation.

The Project will provide a preliminary report on Phase II of national security reform in early July 2008, and a longer report in September 2008. Once a President is elected, a complete set of Presidential directives, draft legislation, and recommended amendments to Congressional jurisdictions and protocols, will be provided so that the President might be ready to implement national security reform within 100 days of taking office. We cannot wait for the Quadrennial Defense Review in the second year of the Presidency; those focusing their time on influencing that document would be well-advised to contribute shorter versions of their work sooner to the Project. By 1 May 2008.

In his comments today at the Army War College, the author told us that everyone said this would be impossible; that it was lunatic, and so on. This book is a deep historical account of how good intentions across party lines can achieve the impossible and serve the public. While I disrespect both party machines for failing to control a reckless and arrogant presidency hijacked by the vice president, I do believe that we can create a narrative on the need for reform that the public will accept and then demand of its Congress.

I will miss Barry Goldwater, the last true conservative I remember, but I am, in putting this book down, confident that John McCain and Sam Nunn and others can find common ground. This book proves the impossible can be achieved, and I believe this book is essential substantiation that the next step: civilian professionalization, inter-agency operations and authorities, multinational information sharing, a robust "white hat" capability, and a national open source agency that can influence how $2 trillion a year in other people's money is spent eradicating the ten high level threats to humanity, are all achievable in the near term.

See also my reviews of the following books that complement this one:
On the Psychology of Military Incompetence
Flawed by Design: The Evolution of the CIA, JCS, and NSC
The Rules of the Game: Jutland and British Naval Command
Bureaucratic Politics And Foreign Policy
The Pathology of Power
The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic (The American Empire Project)
The Unconquerable World: Power, Nonviolence, and the Will of the People
Wilson's Ghost: Reducing the Risk of Conflict, Killing, and Catastrophe in the 21st Century
Breach of Trust: How Washington Turns Outsiders Into Insiders
Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency

This book provides a thorough and comprehensive description of every darned geyser in Yellowstone National Park by a recognized expert. The descriptions are organized geographically by geyser basin, which is a good framework. Photographs are found throughout the book, but none in color. This is the book's primary drawback. On the other hand, inclusion of color would probably make the cost of the book prohibitive...... Great for reading about the geysers BEFORE going to the Park, but I wouldn't use this for a guidebook while IN the Park. I'd go to Carl Schreier's "Yellowstone's Geysers, Hot Springs & Fumaroles" for that. Together, the two books make an outstanding package.

This is a fine book, but WHY is it cross-listed under "Natural Disasters"? Geysers are no more "disasters" than trees or rivers are. I don't get it.

If the phenomenon of geysers interests you, this is your book. It should be the yardstick by which all others on the subject are measured.

Superbly well organized, and written, this book readily conveys the author's enthusiasm for the subject. I would have preferred a few more color photographs in addition to the cover, but this is a minor quibble. The black and white photos are chosen carefully, and give a good idea of the feature involved.

The book discusses all known geysers in Yellowstone, which park contains a substantial majority of these features on the planet. Maps are supplied, and are easily deciphered. Data is given concerning the eruptive pattern of each geyser, where known, and this proved most helpful during a recent trip to this magnificent area.

The feature I enjoyed the most was the detailed appendix, setting forth all known geyser fields anywhere on Earth. I guarantee some of the locations and features will surprise you. The author also discuuses which of these fields are most endangered by unwise development of geothermal power.

Very, very highly recommended. Indeed, I should say it is indispensible for anyone planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park. Enjoy.

The Geysers of Yellowstone is best guide to Yellowstones thermal features I know of, but I wish it would include some of the non-eruptive hot spring and mud pots. Never the less, the book is packed with in-depth information on everything the ever erupted in Yellowstone at time. I am a Yellowstone visitor for 8 years running, and more than half this book, I still don't know! A MUST for any geyser lover.

Now in its third edition and completely revised, this geyser Bible remains the definitive guide to Yellowstone's erupting thermal features. Detailed maps of each of Yellowstone's geyser basins and colorful descriptions of every known geyser make the book both easy to read and easy to use when stalking eruptions of even the most elusive geysers. A fascinating list of all the world's other known geyser regions, many of which have suffered from geothermal development, makes the reader realize all the more what a special place Yellowstone really is.

I was ecstatic to get this book. I loved Hudson's. Mom and Dad would take me and my sisters to see Toyland and Santa every Christmas. Do you remember those beautiful, colorful, Santa books they gave each child? We would always go to the 4th floor and have our feet x-rayed to buy new patent leather, Mary Janes. We would eat at the restaurant there on the 13th? floor. When I was 16, I applied for a job at Hudson's and would work Saturdays while in school and every day in the Summers. I worked on the main floor in the stationary dept. I loved all my co-workers. (wish I knew if they were still around) At the Packaging station in each dept..there was one station that was used for the Stationary dept and the Men's dept. One of the wrappers later became a Mo-Town Singer. I may be wrong but I think it may of been Aretha Franklin. She was very pleasant and I liked her a lot. I was asked to be Gretal (Hansel) in the Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1959? I had a ball...The snow was falling and Christmas Carols, playing. What great memories of a great store and a great city. I miss Michigan as we moved away in the sixties. My heart is still there. I will treasure this book, forever.

This is a fascinating book on a spectacular department store. This store in so many ways reflected Detroit at its zenith, and its demise reflected the decent of Detroit into urban ruin, a city that has become a metaphor for urban decay. This building when imploded, was the largest building ever to be imploded, leave it to Detroit to find away to even raze its skyscrapers. The only thing that has saved Detriots great skyscrapers of the 20s and 30s is their very size, I fear for them if these demolition experts find a way to destroy a building of 30 stories or more. This book gives some very interesting history on this amazing building and about Hudsons in general. The store was massive, like a Detroit version of Philadephia's Wannamakers or New York's Macy's, but with one difference..these two company's flagship buildings are still extant. At the turn of the 20th century into the 30s, Detroit was considered the most beautiful major city in american, it was the ultimate success story, it was rich and prosperious, with spectacular Beaux Art buildings and people flocked to the city, that what makes the unbelievable scuttleing of the city unconscionable, it's a urban wastland, with all of these beautiful buildings in total decay, only their amazing construction keeps them standing. You just want to yell..WAKE UP, DETROIT..these buildings can never be replaced. This is a good book on an amazing building and company..it's interesting how the implosion of this building is a metaphor for the implosion of the city proper. I read it was destroyed for a new developement and you wonder..why could they not have rehabilitated this building, because I can assure you, the building that replaces it will not be half the building this was, nor will the company ever replace the great Hudson's. The demise of Detroit is stain on America.

Anyone who shopped in Detroit's once bustling downtown Woodward corridor should have this book. Starting in the 1930's my grandmother would take the bus downtown at least once a week to shop at Hudson's and the surrounding stores. As a young girl in the mid 1960's, I occasionally traveled with her and some of my earliest and fondest memories are of wandering around the upper 12 floors and two basement levels of merchandise. You would drop your coats off on the forth floor, have lunch on the mezzanine or perhaps the basement cafeteria, shop all afternoon, catch an early dinner at the Riverview room on the 13th floor and then head home with your purchases shipped to your home within a day or two. It was truly an experience that no mall today can come close to. The book consists mostly of photographs and each is sure to spark memories for anyone who had the pleasure of shopping at Hudson's. Photographs cover the start and gradual expansion of the store through it's heyday years in the 1950's followed by it's slow demise in the late 1960's up to demolition day. The most enjoyable photos for me were of ToyTown that covered the usual toy department along with a massive Christmas holiday display and home to the "real" Santa Clause in the adjoining two story auditorium on the 12th floor. I cried the day the store was demolished and I am sure that Grandma was rolling in her grave but this book helped to rekindle my memories of the place and relive a very enjoyable part of my childhood.

A very good book for old Detroiters that brings back many good memories!

In today's increasingly competitive retail market, it's nice to see books documenting regional department stores. I have my fond memories of J.L. Hudson (known to me as just "Hudson's").

Before the merger with "Dayton's" and then then later re-named as "Marshall Field's" in the 1990's, I have fond memories of Hudson's - particularly the downtown Detroit location. When I was a child, my sister and I would be overwhelmed with the Christmas decorations. The picture with Santa; the imfamous "Santa Bear" - (later adopted by Field's). My mother would enjoy shopping in the "Oval Room" for her shoes, along with "Woodward" suits for my dad. It was the place for that one stop shopping: clothing, furniture, even appliances.

Nevertheless, what gave Detroit, particularly Michigan, an identity - other than the big three auto companies, K-Mart, Meijer, and Motown music, was Hudson's.

The effects of the current onslaught of department store mergers is evident. In several metropolitan areas, communities are losing their store (i.e. Kaufmann's; Robinson-May; Foley's, etc) "identity" as Federated Department Stores continue with re-branding old time stores into "Macy's" into a national brand.

In the 1980s the Denver journalist Stephen Singular investigated the assassination of a radio talk show host by Nazi sympathizers. His book became the basis for the movie "Talk Radio".

In August 1994 he received a phone call from an unnamed source in Los angeles, who advised him to investigate the case against OJ Simpson: "the Nazis are inside the system"; "all the blood evidence is suspect". Given these clues, he began his search. He called at Johnnie Cochran's law firm, and met a lawyer. He was viewed suspiciously: "how do we know you're not a nut case, or a plant by the DA to waste our time?" he was asked. His credentials as a journalist answered the first question. His advice checked out: "the blood sample will contain EDTA, but it must be carefully tested to avoid destroying it:.

As an independent journalist, he prepared a confidential synopsis of his proposed book to interest a publisher. The publisher turned over a copy to the LAPD, which prevented him from continuing his work. This book tells the story of his research.

In the 1980s the Denver journalist Stephen Singular investigated the assassination of a talk show host by Nazi sympathizers. His book became the basis for the movie "Talk Radio".

In August he received a phone call from an unnamed source in Los Angeles, who advised him to investigate the case against OJ Simpson: "the Nazis are inside the system"; "all the blood evidence is suspect". Given these clues, he began his search. He called at Johnnie Cochran's law firm to meet a lawyer. He was viewed suspiciously: "how do we know you're not a nut case, or a plant by the DA to waste our time?" he was asked. His credentials as a journalist answered the first question. His advice checked out: "the blood sample will contain EDTA, but it must be carefully tested to avoid destroying it".

As an independent journalist, he prepared a confidential synopsis of his proposed book to interest a publisher. The publisher turned over a copy to the LAPD, which prevented him from continuing his work. This book tells the story of his research.

For OJ to be guilty, you must believe that he quickly disposed of the bloody clothes, shoes, and knives so they would NEVER be found, yet brought the socks and glove back to his home! And then smeared blood all over the console!

The coroner who did the autopsies testified "the forensic evidence says the murders occurred after 11PM". The limousine driver testified he brought OJ to the airport at that time. When you read this book, note how they avoid discussing these facts.

This was one of the first books published about the crime. When the synopsis was turned over to the LAPD his cover was blown and he could not continue his investigation. His source was well informed, the results from the trial showed this.

The following may provide a short review of the case.

The testimony of the two witnesses who cannot lie says that O.J. Simpson is not guilty of the murders. The autopsy of Nicole Brown found blood and flesh under her fingernails; the blood type did not match O.J. Simpson (or Ron Goldman or Nicole Brown). Ron Goldman worked out and practiced karate a couple of times a week, he played tennis, and walked to work. At 25 he was in prime physical shape; his hands showed bruises from punching someone in the face and head more than once. O.J. Simpson had no scratches or bruises on his face or hands or body after the murders; he could not have been a lone murderer.

The newspapers reported that when the victims were found after 12:15 AM their red blood was trickling down the sidewalk. The color photographs printed in the National Enquirer showed the bodies covered in red blood. This means they were freshly killed, around 11:30 PM, because their blood would be black and clotted if dead for over an hour (as in the Borden murders). Since the limousine driver picked up O.J. Simpson at 11 PM he could not have been present at the murders. This proves him innocent of murder.

The O.J. Simpson case received more publicity absolutely and relatively than the impeachment of the President, or even the Oklahoma City bombing. The National Association of Editors and Publishers has never explained why. You could ask the rumor mongers on talk radio why they were told to publicize and prejudge this case before the facts came out at the trial, and why some continue to ignore these facts. I think this is more than the gossip of idle tongues. This case could become a textbook example in the use of propaganda by the news media.

The book "Killing Time" by D. Freed and R. Briggs, which covers this case, also tells about the "Black Dahlia" crime which was never solved even after the murderer confessed! Will the Brown-Goldman murders forever remain an unsolved mystery?

Logically and legally a person is considered innocent until proven guilty. If not found guilty, the accused is innocent. People do not always understand or accept this in all cases. But a jury is always told to wait until all the testimony is given before deciding on a verdict. Many people will form an opinion when they hear the first news, and ignore newer facts.

If Singular is correct in his assertions, this book is a wakeup call for those who do not believe the police can be corrupt, and goto great lengths to tamper with and cover up evidence. We can thank Singular's secret informant who ratted out the LAPD and LADA to preserve some integrity in the justice system. For people who believe this book to be a work of fiction, they should be prepared to explain how the privileged insider information turned out to be true. It is puzzling why few people have given Singular the credit he is due, especially from the Dream Team. I believe Simpson to be innocent, in part because the evidence actually points to two killers, and all of the blood evidence against Simpson is tainted or suspect in some respect.

Outstanding. I'm currently an MBA student and I bought this book right before starting business school. I'd suggest that anyone about to start business school ought to read this book.

I read this book during my first semester in business school. In my opinion, the book is a short but insightful look at what to expect in B-school, classwork, recruiting, and social life.

This was a great book. It totally prepared me for b-school. The best part were the mini lessons about the concepts you'll learn in business school. It's good preparation.

Outstanding. I'm currently an MBA student and I bought this book right before starting business school. I'd suggest that anyone about to start business school ought to read this book.

Princeton Review typically puts together good packets of information - this is not one of them. Although my cyber colleagues are chiding the raves about this booklet, it was not very insightful to me. Although the mini lessons provide a topical guide about material to be covered in business school, a bulk of the information is more like pulp fiction - what type of environment, colleagues, lifestyle, etc. to expect. I would not recommend this book.

I give up. I've gotten just past page 100, and I can't read any more. It's not like me to give up (I'll grind through Thomas Pynchon, even though I don't know what the heck I'm reading!), but I'm exasperated.

This title's gotten all positive reviews otherwise, as you can see. I'd agree with the reviews about it being thorough and detailed, but not lively and entertaining. I'd also agree that it could be useful for students--at times it reads more like a reference book, in my opinion.

The final straw was yet another page filled with detail after detail about which chain moved which goods from which floors to which floors, and which other chains painted which walls in which departments which colors--these details, listed one after another, seem endless, and after a while just rob the narrative of whatever life it had for me.

I guess I wanted this book to be FUN. A fun read. It's been the opposite. Maybe it picks up after page 150, but I'll never know. It's the end of the road for me, pardner.

Good luck!

Jan Whitaker has written an engaging and entertaining book, a whirlwind tour of the American department store, from its glory days in the Victorian era through its demise in recent times. Whitaker reminds us that browsing, window shopping, and buying were once pleasureable experiences that anchored the dreams of consumers who were middle class, or who aspired to be middle class. John Wanamaker, Marshall Field, and other department store pioneers created their stores to be palaces of consumption, luxurious escapes from the humdrum of everyday life. With verve and humor, Whitaker captures that magic and momentarily transports us back to the golden era of retailing. Chain store executives, driven by the imperative to endlessly cut costs, would do well to read this book and think about what's missing from the contemporary retailing scene.

Service and Style has a lot going for it. A great mostly unexplore subject, the history of the American Department Story, a great historical theme, the role these stores played in forming middle class style and great photos. Its well written, organized and researched. I have a family connection to Hess's a department store in Allentown and was pleased to find several references to the store and its owner Max Hess. Many of the things my family talked about that made his store special were shared among other stores as well.

Too bad it didn't take it to the next level and show how the stores transformed the American middle class into sophisticated and pampered consumers. Still, it was well-worth reading and for gazing at all the great photographs of a bygone era.

This book is about the history of the American Department Store, from the late 1800's to the early 1980s.

The author of this book is emphatic about the fact that Department Stores are quite different from the "Catalog Stores" (eg: SEARS), or different from the huge "National Chain Stores" (eg: WAL-MART). So please note that this book is only about "Department Stores" (as stated in the book's title) and NOT about Chain Stores,nor the very huge National Catalog Chains.

Anyhow, this book is very well-written. The photos are mostly in black-n-white, since at that time, most photos were not in color.

The author does a wonderful job at categorizing each chapters into sub-categories, and the author goes into great detail in explaining the issues and experiences that affected the American Department stores (be it, their evolution, but also their demise).

Christina Larsen in her highly favorable review of this book in 'Washington Monthly' notes that one major reason people shop is for 'the experience'. Jan Whitaker chronicles how the Department Store became a central element in American life. She tells of how the great movement from farm to City in the late nineteenth - century , combined with new developments in communication and transportation helped make Department stores the center of American commercial life. Here is Larsen's description of of what Whitaker does in the book.

" She details how department stores, which dominated American retail in the early 20th century, helped give "material expression to vague ideas of what success, femininity, citizenship, and popularity might mean," then put the identifying accessories (briefcase, lingerie, top hat, tennis racket) within reach of most customers. The secret to the stores' success was that they were always selling more than the thing itself."

The Department Store drew the masses into the heart of town. It democratized fashion, and made goods available to the many which were once for the exclusive enjoyment of the wealthy. Though Department Stores sold many different kinds of product, once for instance were a central vendor of books, their major product and great attraction was clothing.

This book will bring a lot of insight into an American institution , and I think for older folks like myself much nostalgic enjoyment. I grew up in the world of Department stores from the 'Up-to- Date' in downtown Troy New York Alexander's in Manhattan and Abraham and Strauss Brooklyn where my Aunt Molly Zeibert of blessed memory was for many years a 'buyer'(Dresses) .

I enjoyed this manual very much. I have no military experience so i can't attest to the accuracy of the content but compared to other manuals i own the content seems to coincide. This book has a little bit about everything such as land nav, improvised muntions, field manuevers, protocal procecedures and survival.

My only nit pick about it is that is smaller than i am used to so its a bit hard to read however it doesn't make me demote the manual as this is ment to fit into your back pocket for reference.

If your interested in a sampling of the subjects i have mentionted above this book is a great nugget of info

this book is the same book ranger trainies are issued in ranger school. the book is about 3inch by 5 in and the writing is small. it is ment to be covered in od green duct tape to protect the outside and be carried in a cargo pocket for easy access. the material is a culmination of all military and outdoorsman knowledge from the begining of time. the material is dry and typical army manual. the book also looks nothing like the picture. this book is great for any soldier, anyone interest in the military, or a manual for life in the outdoors with interesting military tactical knowledge

It's the amount of content inside the book. The SH 21-74 Ranger Handbook is rich in content and is a useful addition to any man's library.

If Amber and her husband weren't happy with the content, then they want something else besides the Ranger Handbook. This is the real deal, it's the same copy I got when I went through in 2004. Of course, now it is covered in handwritten notes and 100 mph tape, but I still have it.

It's size is intentionally small so it will fit in the pocket of BDU's or whatever the hell they are calling them now. The utility is that it has so much info in a quick to reference manner.

So Amber, you didn't get rooked, you got the real deal. If you are upset about the price, you should know that they are giving them away for free at the United States Army Ranger School in Ft. Benning, GA.

This book is the newest out and very hard to find else where.
The Military content is up to date and is what the troops are using right now. The book is made small still with very good print and pictures so you can take it into the field. Glad to know our military does not buy things just because of the size.
This book is far better than the other ranger books in print.

This book encapsulates all the necessary information for clinical practice of anesthesia. It also includes MANY charts and protocols for drugs, malignant hypothermia, ACLS, etc. I can't enter the OR without it.

I have over 15 years of experience as an anesthesiologist at the prestigious Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut. I've seen it all; however, this text challenged me. I highly recommend it, and every practicing MD and CRNA should have a copy to review and use as a teaching tool and guide.

First of all, I must say that this is an excellent book to get detailed information when you are in a bind in the OR. But the problem I have with this book is that it is sort of in a no-man's-land of materials. If I need the nitty-gritty on a subject, I go to Barash or Miller, but in the OR, I only need to get to the stuff I seem to have forgotten, so I go to Ezekiel. Mass General falls somewhere between too much information for the OR, and not enough information for home use. I've also found it rather difficult at times to find things with the small, cramped print. (Not to mention that it doesn't fit as easily as Ezekiel in the back pocket of your scrubs)
Undeniably, this is a good book with a wealth of information, but I don't understand why people rely on it so heavily.

This book seems to be the icon for O.R. pocket references in Anesthesiology.

I carry this book with me to the O.R. almost daily for an available quick-read before an add-on case. The sections are set in a systematic and logical fashion, making review and reference quick. It's seen on almost every resident's anesthesia cart, and then the cover is usually well-worn from frequent use.

A very good book, but not intended for board review.

"Clinical Anesthesia Procedures of the Massuchussets General Hospital" offers concise yet thorough coverage on all aspects of anesthesia. From preoperative visit to basic airway management, from fluid requirements of the surgical patient to specific considerations on cardiac, respiratory and liver diseases, this book has it all in an easily accesible way, especially when your above the "blood-brain barrier". I would especially recomend the chapter on resuscitation of trauma and burns victims, because of the thorough coverage of the subject, better than in many surgical textbooks I have read.

it helped me learn about meteorolog

It's definitely a good book to have, if anything because it's very clearly cross-referenced. I got a lot out of it, and have been lending it out to a lot of my friends. VaultReports publishes similar stuff which is also pretty good.

In its Occupational Outlook Handbook 2000-2001, The U.S. Department of Labor provides exhaustive, accurate, up-to-date information on all major jobs and occupations in the United States. This easy to use, authoritative, and definitive reference offers the most useful database of information on jobs and salaries available today. All jobs are arranged into logical clusters, making it simple to find a given occupation. The descriptions are clearly written and replete with pertinent and useful information on skills, pay, working conditions, training, educational prerequisites and more. Occupational Outlook Handbook 2000-2001 is an essential, core reference title for school and community job center counseling, and ideal for personal job and career research.

Although I haven't read this book in print form, I have read it online for free. It's very authoritative and full of information. The only problem I have is that it lacks subjectivity: doesn't tell you the "problems" a certain career might have or its workload.

In conclusion, every student or non-student who's just looking for a different career path will benefit from the info in this book.

Published every two years by the U.S. Dept. of Labor. The resource used by more career counselors than any other. Good, basic occupational information on hundreds of jobs covering over 90% of the workforce.

This is a great introduction to the assessment process with chapters specifically for departments and general education. The appendices include sample forms and processes for all types of assessment. A great practical resource for anyone responsible for creating an institutional or departmental assessment program. I know at my institution, faculty and administrators have been looking for something like this that can give them a concrete process for doing assessment. If you have only one book on assessment, this should be it. Other books fill in more about the theory and why, but the theory and why are nothing without implementation.

Assessment never seems to be simple, but this book manages to boil it down to the main points. I like how it is organized, and the appendices offer some good starting points for tools that you can customize to suit your own needs.

If your college is just beginning institutional assessment, then this is the book for you. It has several talking points that will allow faculty and the administration to join together in the task. Overall, I enjoyed it.

This book is an excellent resource for someone trying to understand how good assessment works. It is very easy to understand, provides lots of examples and doesn't try to confuse the reader by using excessive education jargon. A very good buy.