Controls Books

I first ordered this book for my son-in-law, because he is such a Charlie Daniels fan. I then ordered a copy for a friend of mine who is going through a rough time in her life right now. Before giving it away, I flipped through the pages, and read the story by Jonny Lang. I am a 61 yr. old grandmother, but I have albums by him. I was just blown away, and had to order a copy for myself.

In the book, How Do You Know He's Real, you'll get an inside look into the spiritual lives of 34 celebrities. Hagberg has compiled testimonies ranging from Kirk Cameron to Rudy Sarzo (former bass player for Ozzy Osbourne). Each story is remarkably different and it's amazing to read how God has worked in the lives of each of these well-known people.

The author has collected very readable stories telling how celebrities have become Christians, and they share their low points and their joys here. This is a welcome peek into the lives of well known people who typically are more secretive.
Ricky Skaggs, Kirk Cameron, Gloria Gaynor, Bethel Johnson (34 people in all) tell about their struggles and their early days as new Christians.
Billy Ray Cyrus tells of singing in his grandpa's Pentecostal church when he was 4, and includes the touching lyrics to the song he wrote "The other side."
Jackie (Jacklyn) Zeman, star of General Hospital, advises that when you are at a crossroads "cry out to God and ask for His guidance."
Al Kasha's story resonated with me; this Academy Award winning songwriter overcame agoraphobia, and talks about how Hollywood is a tough place for a Jew who came to Christ, and how he started a Hollywood Bible study group.
There are stories here for anyone to enjoy and find spirit lifting.

(Hagberg has written a companion book with the same title, subtitled God Unplugged)

How Do You Know He's Real? is a collection of celebrity essays about God acting in their lives. The contributors include athletes, musicians, and actors. Their stories often follow a familiar pattern of fame leading to drugs and alcohol before hitting bottom and being turned around by an encounter with God. That's not to say the accounts are all stock and cliched, but rather that God meets each person in their need--and for celebrities that need will be similar. And many of the tales include growing up in stable Christian homes, but still needing to make personal decisions about God and Christ and how that decision impacted their careers.

The stories are collected alphabetically but Hagberg has provided a topic finder so a reader battling discouragement or frustration can find offerings from Billy Ray Cyrus, Nancy Stafford, Zorro, Gary Burghoff or John Schneider.

Each essay begins with a picture and short biography of the contributor, listing their accomplishments. Following the selection is God's Road Map, a few sentences about the issues raised by the author, with Bible verses for teaching and encouragement.

The essays themselves are as varied as the contributors. Some of them read as if they were written to be given as speeches. Several sound like the writer could be sitting at your kitchen table, chatting over the coffee pot. All of them are honest and share from their heart how God has acted in their life and how they know He's real.

Reading the accounts of God acting in both miraculous and mundane ways reminds us that no matter what a person does for a living, each of us are created beings who need a loving Savior and merciful God.

Armchair Interviews says: Up close and personal stories from celebrities.

I received this book as a gift and once I started, I couldn't put it down. Ms Hagberg has captured the beliefs of these well known and respected celebrities, sports figures, and musicians. I'm anxiously awaiting the next book in the series and can't wait to give copies of this one to all my friends. Order 2!

It's the rare person who relishes conflict. Most of us live our lives either avoiding it, which never works for long, or expressing it in counter-productive ways. Even those of us who deal with conflict on a professional basis---I'm a divorce lawyer and mediator---are not immune to the physical and emotional toll that it can take on us (not to mention on our clients). With that in mind, I'm happy to report that Lee Raffel's new book, "I Hate Conflict!", is a useful, accessible, and unthreatening approach to a subject that most people dread. Drawing on a lifetime of hard-earned lessons (including an abusive first marriage), and a long career as a social worker and marriage counselor, Ms. Raffel looks at conflict from a variety of angles, but always with a view to offering sensible advice and real-world solutions. My guess is that she's an excellent therapist, because she has a client-centered approach that comes through loud and clear. The reader feels that he's in the same room with her, engaged in conversation with a wise and caring counselor, a counselor who knocks herself out to make her clients' lives more satisfying and less stressful. I recommend the book.

Very few people in the world enjoy getting in fierce arguments with their fellow man - and "I Hate Conflict!: Seven Steps to Resolving Differences with Anyone in Your Life" understands this completely. Offering many options to help people resolve their issues and strengthen their relationships with others, it's an ideal guide to anyone who wants a more peaceful resolution to their conflicts. "I Hate Conflict! Seven Steps to Resolving Differences with Anyone in Your Life" is highly recommended to community library self-help collections.

Lee Raffel writes the way I think. She offers clear direction and definitions that are helpful in clinical work as well as in personal situations. Another winner!

"I Hate Conflict" is rich with information around conflict and the people involved in it. Special care is taken for those of us who tend to avoid conflicts. It is difficult for us, who do not like conflicts to like a book about it or to even spend time with this topic. Lee Raffel tries successfully to make it as easy as possible. "I Hate Conflict" is factual, realistic, clear and to the point.


Lee Raffel ends each Chapter with a small amount of homework. It helps for a deeper understanding and more important to get the connection to ones own life.


I do like that she extensively quotes other important books to the subject and in the vicinity of it. Lee Raffel even encourages her readers to read other peoples work.

I do recommend "I Hate Conflict" for reading, reference and for just spending time with it.

I have added Lee's book to my Master Bibliography for all of my classes - conflict management, emotional intelligence, leadership, coaching and more.
She is so good at making it easy to understand and follow. This is a very valuable book to have around when you know that conflict conversation needs to happen.

Patricia Clason, www.patriciaclason.com

This is one of the best books written by Dr. Igor Ansoff, known worldwide as the "Father of Strategic Management". This book, in addition to its theoritical content, provides managers with a step-by-step guide to pilot their firms through the turbulent environments in the 21st century. This is one of the best books available on the topic of strategic management.

Implanting Strategic Management is a compilation of a life-timework that organizes the major contributions in the field under oneumbrella, as Ansoff ingeniously develops a model that divides the competitive environment into five levels of turbulence: 1) repetitive, 2) expanding, 3) changing, 4) discontinuous and 5) unforeseen. His strategic success theorem states: For optimal success of an organization, the strategic aggressiveness (both technological and marketing) and the components of capability (both managers and organizational climate, competence and capacity) must match the level of environmental turbulence in which the organization competes. Ansoff uses a five-point integral scale to also measure the corresponding five levels of strategy: 1) stable, 2) reactive, 3) anticipatory, 4) entrepreneurial and 5) creative and the corresponding five levels of capability: 1) custodial, 2) production, 3) marketing, 4) strategic and 5) flexible, as he develops a strategic diagnostic questionnaire to obtain the perceptions of the general managers of an any organization. When there is alignment or minimal gap between the average level of competitive environment and each of the components of strategy and capability, then the organization should have optimal success, which has been validated by several doctoral dissertations under Ansoff. This book is a comprehensive integration of several of Ansoff's scholarly articles, enhanced with each edition. Well thought out concepts involving strategic segmentation, resistance to change, optimizing strategic portfolio, strategic dimensions of technology, societal strategy issues, real-time strategic response to managing surprising changes, strategic issue management,and environmental surveillance for strong signals and weak signals in anticipating environmental change. Ansoff's theory says that at levels 1 to 3, a firm can extrapolate the future from the past. However, at level 4 (discontinuous) and level 5 (surpriseful), strategic management must be used by an organization to realistically plan for future successes in a highly turbulent competitive environment. Ansoff's theory applies to all types of organizations, and he explains how industries can have unexpected shifts from one level of turbulence to another, as in the case of Apple Computer Corp. When Apple created the personal computer, it also created a whole new marketplace with new customers at an initial turbulence level of 5, which shifted to a level 3 of marketing mentality, which seemed to be why Steve Jobs, a creative visionary, was replaced by Scully, a marketing guru, as the Board wanted to milk their "cash cow" and not be continuously creating new dimensions. However, when the envirnoment shifted up to level 4, Apple almost went out of business when they did not respond fast enough. Level 4 is discontinuous, where the future is only partially predictable from the past, and it requires 4) entrepreneurial strategy and 4) strategic capability of the firm for optimal success. Steve Jobs was brought back in as interim CEO, and he was able make Apple once again competitive by enhancing the company's technological and marketing strategy, as well as its organizational capability, by bringing the firm's strategy and capability components up to level 4, so as to be successful. (Note: The above scenario is used by the reviewer as a realistic example of Ansoff's theory being applied in the real world.) In summary, Ansoff's work is far beyond anything published in the field, and one of the most comprehensive empirical studies that validates his complete theory is called "The Financial Performance of Technology-Driven Firms Aligning Strategy, Capability and Environment" by Richardson, John F. 1996. (Ann Arbor, MI: UMI No. 9623859), 564 pp. or URL: www.ilarsystems.com. This reviewer recommends Ansoff's book Implanting Strategic Management to any individual who desires to learn from the top scholar in the field, considered by many world authorities as the "Father of Strategic Management." This reviewer has read numerous works by the leading scholars in the field, and nobody has integrated the various contributions under one umbrella or into one paradigm, as Ansoff has done. Scholars come from all corners of the world to study under Ansoff and his disciples at United States International University, San Diego, California, USA. When is America going to wake up and learn from this "latter-day saint" of strategic management, while he is still with us? We ignored Demming, considered the "father of quality management," for years until he became infamous in Japan, teaching the Japanese firms how to dominate world markets with quality management. Some of the best minds in the world come every year to study under Ansoff, but few Americans are in their numbers.

Implanting Strategic Management is a compilation of a life-timework that organizes the major contributions in the field under oneumbrella, as Ansoff ingeniously develops a model that divides the competitive environment into five levels of turbulence: 1) repetitive, 2) expanding, 3) changing, 4) discontinuous and 5) unforeseen. His strategic success theorem states: For optimal success of an organization, the strategic aggressiveness (both technological and marketing) and the components of capability (both managers and organizational climate, competence and capacity) must match the level of environmental turbulence in which the organization competes. Ansoff uses a five-point integral scale to also measure the corresponding five levels of strategy: 1) stable, 2) reactive, 3) anticipatory, 4) entrepreneurial and 5) creative and the corresponding five levels of capability: 1) custodial, 2) production, 3) marketing, 4) strategic and 5) flexible, as he develops a strategic diagnostic questionnaire to obtain the perceptions of the general managers of any organization. When there is alignment or minimal gap between the average level of competitive environment and each of the components of strategy and capability, then the organization should have optimal success, which has been validated by several doctoral dissertations under Ansoff. This book is a comprehensive integration of several of Ansoff's scholarly articles, enhanced with each edition. Well thought out concepts involving strategic segmentation, resistance to change, optimizing strategic portfolio, strategic dimensions of technology, societal strategy issues, real-time strategic response to managing surprising changes, strategic issue management,and environmental surveillance for strong signals and weak signals in anticipating environmental change. Ansoff's theory says that at levels 1 to 3, a firm can extrapolate the future from the past. However, at level 4 (discontinuous) and level 5 (surpriseful), strategic management must be used by an organization to realistically plan for future successes in a highly turbulent competitive environment. Ansoff's theory applies to all types of organizations, and he explains how industries can have unexpected shifts from one level of turbulence to another, as in the case of Apple Computer Corp. When Apple created the personal computer, it also created a whole new marketplace with new customers at an initial turbulence level of 5, which shifted to a level 3 of marketing mentality, which seemed to be why Steve Jobs, a creative visionary, was replaced by Scully, a marketing guru, as the Board wanted to milk their "cash cow" and not be continuously creating new dimensions. However, when the environment shifted up to level 4, Apple almost went out of business when they did not respond fast enough. Level 4 is discontinuous, where the future is only partially predictable from the past, and it requires 4) entrepreneurial strategy and 4) strategic capability of the firm for optimal success. Steve Jobs was brought back in as interim CEO, and he was able make Apple once again competitive by enhancing the company's technological and marketing strategy, as well as its organizational capability, by bringing the firm's strategy and capability components up to level 4, so as to be successful. (Note: The above scenario is used by the reviewer as a realistic example of Ansoff's theory being applied in the real world.) In summary, Ansoff's work is far beyond anything published in the field, and one of the most comprehensive empirical studies that validates his complete theory is called "The Financial Performance of Technology-Driven Firms Aligning Strategy, Capability and Environment" by Richardson, John F. 1996. (Ann Arbor, MI: UMI No. 9623859), 564 pp. This reviewer recommends Ansoff's book Implanting Strategic Management to any individual who desires to learn from the top scholar in the field, considered by many world authorities as the "Father of Strategic Management." This reviewer has read numerous works by the leading scholars in the field, and nobody has integrated the various contributions under one umbrella or into one paradigm, as Ansoff has done. Scholars come from all corners of the world to study under Ansoff and his disciples at United States International University, San Diego, California, USA. When is America going to wake up and learn from this "latter-day saint" of strategic management, while he is still with us? We ignored Demming, considered the "father of quality management," for years until he became infamous in Japan, teaching the Japanese firms how to dominate world markets with quality management. Some of the best minds in the world come every year to study under Ansoff, but few Americans are in their numbers. END

I'm doing my MBA in Strategic Management and I have found this book to have ideas that helps me tremendously. I have also found another book written by Igor titled Corporate Strategy published by Penguin. I think it is equally a must read!

This is one of the best books written by Dr. Igor Ansoff, known worldwide as the "Father of Strategic Management". This book, in addition to its theoritical content, provides managers with a step-by-step guide to pilot their firms through the turbulent environments in the 21st century. This is one of the best books available on the topic of strategic management.

Devane does it again! Co-author of the popular: "The Change Handbook"; he now provides us with a roadmap of breakthrough thinking in the areas of Lean Six Sigma and High Performance Organizations!
From the opening lines in the Preview we are invited into examining the crisis of improvement programs that face organizations today. The story concludes having introduced the reader into a unique journey examining the combinations and possibilities of these methods and what is fundamentally required of leadership. This book is masterfully written offering a balanced blend of theory, practicality and insightful breakthroughs, cracking the puzzle of achieving sustainable organizational results. The skilled OD practitioner will readily see the author's depth of expertise and scholarship displayed in the fields of change and leadership. He comfortably ties together the soft and hard skills necessary to accomplish what so many efforts fail to achieve and overlook in their improvement programs.
His main divisions of the book entitled, Practical Foundations and Pragmatic Practice, allow the novice to understand their working intentions and how to effectively apply them. The seasoned person will be able to jump in where they are most comfortable. His creative literary style, with a liberal combination of tables, charts, exhibits, figures, and war stories makes reading a pleasure and captures your attention. The repetitive structure within the Leader's Guide includes activity maps, leader to do lists, tool applications and pragmatic tips, allowing the reader to develop a rhythm in learning the principles and applications being discussed. The generous glossary and reference materials will greatly assist in allowing you to deepen your understanding or expand your resources in the field.
In addition, the book's companion website, www.LeanSixSigmaHPO.com, provides helpful supporting information for leaders serious about simultaneously addressing technical tool deployment and cultural aspects of large-scale process improvement efforts.

Most books I've seen on the topics of Lean, Six Sigma, and culture change suggest a one-size-fits all approach that is detailed by the author(s) in their specific book. Usually they are plugging one methodology that supposedly has universal application across all industries and all sized companies. Not so with this book.

This book, written for leaders, provides a succinct array of principles, general approach templates, and common traps for each stage of an improvement process. Rather than advocating detailed, sequential steps to take, the book offers up proven best practices and a general flow that leaders may, or may not apply based on their specific organizational circumstances. Another book I highly recommend that offers alternative approaches to improvement is Peter Pande's book What Is Six Sigma? A fixed, rigid improvement approach that is not customized to accommodate an organization's unique characteristics is doomed to expensive failure, and these two books get that concept.

Many books present the hard tools of Six Sigma. Many books present how to do change manageemnt, or the "soft side" of continuous improvement projects. This is the first book I've seen that provides leaders with a clear set of principles and a general approach for integrating hard and soft aspects of Six Sigma to achieve dramatic, sustainable results. The first third of the book presents concepts on Lean, Six Sigma, and High Performance Organizations. The final two-thirds of the book is organized according to the implementation stages of an enterprise-wide Six Sigma project. For each stage the book provides pragmatic tips on topics such as stage outputs, common traps, key large goup meetings, leader "To Do" checklists, counterintuitive elements, and leadership tools. In addition to the book's comprehensive coverage of leadership issues for large-scale process improvement, there's also an extensive reference section in the back that points leaders to other books and web-sites containing valuable leadership tips.

Readers should be aware that this book does not delve into detailed statistical tools that improvement teams use. Rather, the book focuses on leadership aspects so I would recommend another book like one of Breyfogle's for people interested in "hard tools" of Six Sigma.

I was pleased to find a leadership book for Lean Six Sigma that addresses both manufacturing and transactional improvement so I didn't have to buy two different leadership books as is necessary with detailed improvement tools for each. With shop floor and office examples from widely diverse industries like electronics assembly, pharmaceutical, retailing, environmental services, government, and financial services, this book presents ideas on how to lead the improvement of all kinds of processes. I was a bit surprised to see that many of the cases from other industries had direct applicability to my industry. I found the detailed advice on setting up an executive committee that meets regularly to evaluate the progress of all improvement projects to be especially useful. And by providing sample questions that executives can ask, the book helps executives ensure that improvement teams are proceeding in the right direction without having executives engaged in micro-managing.

This book is chockfull of golden advice nuggets for leaders of big changes in organizations. It shows how integrating the disciplines of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and High-Performance Organizations can provide a robust combination of quick short-term wins, significant long-term wins based on rigourous data collection and analysis, and sustainable gains based on increased employee motivation. I found the Leadership Checklists that were provided for each of the book's 5 phases of an improvement effort to be particularly helpful. The book provides an excellent reference for busy leaders as its organization, indexing, and exhibit list make it easy to quickly find specific topics of interest.

This book, entitled "An Introduction to SCR Power Controls," does just that. It serves in summarizing the features of SCR power controllers, as well as the associated parts required in their field-mounted enclosures. After reading through this book, you will be ready to explore the specifics in a more technical and precise manner. However, this book will be the anchor that you keep turning back to when clarification is needed over some of the available features for SCR Power Controllers.

With over 30 years in the industry Mr. Sites expertise clearly comes out with the publication of this book. A must buy for anyone who is looking for information on SCR,s,the industry and the many applications. Very well written and helpful in every day application of SCR,s.

TIRED OF SEARCHING THROUGH COMPENDIUMS OF TECHNICAL ARCANUM FOR THE
REAL SCOOP ON THYRISTORS? I KNOW I WAS. FORTUNATELY I FOUND ALOT OF
GREAT AUTHORS ALONG THE WAY, AND ALOT OF GREAT INFORMATION. BUT WHEN IT
CAME TO SCR POWER CONTROLS I HAD A DICKENS OF A TIME FINDING ANYTHING
THAT REALLY HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
UNTIL SITES.
THIS BOOK IS AS SOLID AND CONCISE AS ANY TECH MANUAL I'VE EVER READ.
THERE ARE TWO CHAPTERS ON COOLING AND ENCLOSURE SELECTION THAT I'VE
NEVER FOUND ANYWHERE ELSE.(IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS THAT ARE OFTEN
OVERLOOKED IN THE SOMETIME OCCULT WORLD OF ELECTRONICS.) OTHER CHAPTERS
COVER CONTROL METHODS, FEEDBACK, LOAD PROBLEMS, AND MORE.
HEY--- IF I SOUND LIKE THIS GUY'S MOTHER YOU'VE GOTTA FORGIVE ME. I
KEEP THIS THING IN MY TOOLBOX RIGHT BESIDE MY $300 FLUKE. WHEN I
DON'T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING I REFER TO HIM. WHEN I HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME
EXPLAINING SOMETHING TO MY CUSTOMERS I QUOTE HIM.---VERBATIM.
MOST EXCELLENT.-------JOE KRAUSE

I enjoyed reading Mr. Sites latest book "An Introduction to SCR Power Controls". It covers all aspects of SCR Power Controls in a manner that is very detailed yet simple enough for my sales engineers to thoroughly understand. With this book in their briefcase, they have the ability to comprehend and project to their customers, the true value of
SCR Power Control. His book is now mandatory reading for all PRIME INDUSTRIAL sales people.

John M. Zerbo
President
PRIME INDUSTRIAL

If you look through the typical college text on industrial electronics, you will find about two pages of generic descriptions about the SCR. But the diverse applications of the SCR are the mainstay for the precise control of electrical power in most industrial applications. This little gem of a book is the only one I have seen that covers all the basics and much more. While the bare SCR first appears to be a one trick pony, this book describes how the magic in the control circuit can turn it into a multitude of products.
If you market any product related to industrial heating, you will find the extensive list of client industries buying SCR controls a treasure trove of market leads.
If you are still in one of the old-time industries that still spends a small fortune maintaining industrial mechanical contactors, this is the book that can simply explain how you can eliminate that costly maintenance downtime and keep much more profit in your pocket. After the diode, the SCR is one of the most rugged and easy to use semiconductors with massive power handling capability at a low cost.
If you are already using an SCR controller, you probably only know about that one type. As processes change, and the market demands increasing product quality, it can be worth your time to periodically review the variety of available controllers for one that can better meet your needs in changing times. The variety of SCR controllers can be intimidating. This book is the cornucopia of SCR controller knowledge that gives you decision power. This is the book you want in your pocket when the SCR rep visits so that you are an informed consumer that can determine what product can best meet your needs.
If knowledge has value, this book is one of the best bargains you will ever find. If you happen to buy it for a college engineering class, it will be one of your keepers. The author covers a complex subject in a very simple, easy to absorb, writing style that does not bog the reader down.

If you've been downsized or fired, have recently graduated from college or graduate school, or are simply unhappy with your career choices, this book lays out a systematic process for finding a new job - one that you will enjoy and that will fit your abilities. Catherine B. Beck recommends starting with a couple of exercises in self-knowledge. First, create a "product profile" of yourself, to help you understand the skills you'll bring to your next position, and then write your ideal job description. She provides detailed advice on setting up a home job-search office, writing a professional-looking resume, surviving the job interview and negotiating a job offer. We recommend this guide to new graduates, employees who want a change and career coaches looking for useful advice to give their clients.

This is an extremely well written, practical guide for managing one's career. It is easy to follow and presents logically. The examples are outstanding in that they illustrate tasks as well as span numerous professions. It takes the reader through every consideration that should be part of the job search--a "must have" for job seekers who want to learn how to pursue, evaluate, and achieve their best career move.

I have been really impressed with this book. It has a lot of great ideas and examples for anyone job hunting or changing careers. I especially liked the interviewing questions with suggested responses and the section on salary and negotiation. I have already recommended this book to several friends and will continue to recommend it to everyone I know who is looking for a job or thinking of getting a new job.

When my husband was considering a job change he found the information in this book to be invaluable in helping him update his resume. The resume guidelines were very helpful in making sure that his resume had a professional appearance and that all the pertinent information was included. The sample resumes and cover letters were a great help as well. This is a comprehensive, easy-to-read guide, and I highly recommend it.

Career consultant and management coach Catherine Beck presents It's Your Career: Take Control!, a job search workshop in book form. Covering everything from self-assessment to resume writing, interview techniques, practical exercises, sample forms, case studies, advice for negotiating one's compensation package and much more, It's Your Career is up-to-date on the latest trends - such as the recent acceptibility of a two-page resume rather than a one-page resume if one has more than five years' experience, a change brought around by increased employment turnover in the constantly changing modern world. It's Your Career presents need-to-know tips, tricks, and guidelines in a manner that anyone seeking the job best suited for them can immediately absorb. Highly recommended.

Journey into Madness is one of THE ABSOLUTE BEST books I have ever read in my entire life. If I was the principal of a High School, Journey Into Madness would be a required reading for all of the students. The young people need to learn that they have the right to living a pain-free life. And they need to understand that they will NOT get into trouble for reporting distressful or torturous experiences to authorities like they're librarians, nurses, and teachers. Thank you, Gordon Thomas, for being so kind as to offer the peace and mercy needed in the hearts of so many children and adults around the world. The American children are forever in debt to you for your merciful kindness.

Love,
Joematters.com

I was truly captivated, by the facts, Mr. Gordon was able to unearth, during his research into the CIA's, dark, and mysterious research and developement of mind control techniques. We the people, know so little about any branch, of the intelligence community. The closest most citizens, ever get to the intelligence community, would be the news reports, or movies, of which is difficult at best to grasp the un-thinkable acts that was obviously standard operating proc- edures, for the men and women of the central intelligence agency.

Mr. Gordons no holds barred, and tenacity in following his leads, unearthed some the most outrageous, and cold blooded acts, possibly ever committed by intelligent human beings, at which Mr. Gordon documented . From the moment I opened the cover of the book, I was spell bound. As I recall I read the book long after the Colonel Oliver North scandel, and prior to the hearings, I couldn't recall ever hearing of Col. Oliver North, but as I read the book I learned that he was a prominent figure in the intelligence community.

To this day I am still amazed, at Mr. Gordens ability to spend what had to seem like an eternity, uncovering and then to actually corraborate the the wild and unbelievable stories. It's a miracle Mr. Gordon, didn't fall prey to bouts of paranoia, considering the agency he was researching.

It's difficult to comprehend, how an entity of the Federal government, can conceive, direct, and implement not only an obduction of a russian intelligence officer, but a politician of our own government, then administer a powerful hallucinogenic drug like LSD, and increase the dosages to achieve thier desired result of pushing the subject(s) to the point of committing suicde. Mr. Gordons diligence, and courage, at the very least, held the CIA accountable in the civil courts. Journey into madness is a n extrordinary piece of work.

Mr. Gordon's research and objectivity is laudable, his book an eye-opener. It lends credance to movies such as Blind Sight. Mr. Gordon's description of Dr. al-Abub, his training and mission and that his current endeavors continue makes one wonder what humans can be about that they could do to others what they do. Can there still be Dr. Camerons/al Abubs working the torture circuit in the name of nationalism and belief?

This 1989 book was written to tell the world about the use of physicians in medical torture of political prisoners. It didn't start in Nazi Germany, and didn't end in Abu Ghraib (drugs, electroshock, gags, garrotes, blindfolds, branding irons, sexual abuse, mock executions). Physicians provide fake medical certificates for persons tortured to death ('Perspectives'). The author had access to written testimony, and off-the-record interviews (which were confirmed from other independent sources).

'Book One' deals with Beirut, the Near East, and the kidnapping of William Buckley, American Political Officer, in 1984. It mentions the survival technique of looking at every approaching face to determine if it is an enemy by the tension displayed on the face (p.59). The Hizballah justified terror as needed to create a new and ideal society (p.61). Brain-washing rarely involved physical cruelty bet depended on the use of repetition, harassment, and humiliation (p.69). [Just like your schooling?] Changing opinions was older that recorded history. America developed the most powerful advertising industry in the world and adapted it to psychological warfare and opinion making. They studied the techniques used by modern American evangelists in conversion, and the Catholic rite of confession (p.73). Pharmaceutical laboratories discovered how drugs can be used in mind control (p.74). How amoral and ignorant was Gov. Reagan (p.81)?

'Book Two' gives the history of the abuse of medical knowledge since WW II. Chapter 5 tells of Allen Dulles and his ruthless and unscrupulous character hidden beneath his cheerful and witty personality. The Korean War provided a new shock from former POWs (pp.94-95). The "twilight zone" is described (p.97). They could not understand the changed views of POWs! Chapter 7 notes how conscientious objectors were put into mental hospitals and used as test animals (pp.140-141)! Chapter 8 tells about electroshock treatments at the Allan Memorial Institute which went beyond the norm (p.149). Were there studies reminiscent of Dr. Josef Mengele at Auschwitz (p.150)? Allen Dulles continued with his drug experiments and poisonous mushrooms (pp.156-157). It tells of the poisoning death of Dr. Frank Olson (pp.160-162). [To shut him up?] Chapter 10 has a 'Top Secret' recording of Korean War POWs (pp.184-186); did you understand it? Was it caused by learning a new view of society? Chapter 11 tellis of the use of sensory deprivation experiments to cause irreversible damage to a patient's mind. Chapter 12 gives an example of post-event predictions (p.216). Chapter 13 tells how Dr. Mary Morrow was able to escape from the tortures of Dr. Ewen Cameron (pp.230-231). Chapter 14 gives the results of hypnotism to create a sleeper killer (p.253). Chapter 15 explains why the Vietcong succeeded (p.257). Truthful reports had bad consequences (p.258).Who controlled Oswald (p.260)? Could the CIA handle the truth (p.261)? NO (p.263)! Could psychics read minds from a distance (p.273)? Or devil worship (p.275)?

'Book Three' covers the events after Watergate. Chapter 17 tells about briefing President-elect Reagan. Claire Sterling's "The Terror Network" is evaluated (p.321). Could Agca have been brainwashed to make him an assassin (p.326)? Chapter 19 tells how the CIA created the cruelest police in the Arab world (p.328). All the bugs planted in Sadat's presidential palace did not warn of the assassination. Examples of medical torture are on pages 334-335. Torture by physicians goes back to the Roman Empire (p.346), to the English in Kenya (p.348); it wasn't just the Nazis. Science is always at the service of the rulers. "Hooding prisoners" was used in 1865 for the Lincoln assassination conspirators (p.356). The 'Notes' provides background information on this book.

The second review merely seeks to lessen the impact of the book "Journey into Madness" by Gordon Thomas by pointing out that other governments do similar things. No. Not on the scale and with the hypocrisy that the CIA does.

For those interested, who would like to know more about such practices and how the CIA and the medical community continue their terror and human rights abuses here and in other countries, there is some mention of this in "The Serpent and the Rainbow" by Wade Davis. He writes of the work of the American psychiatrist Nathan Kline (sp?) with the CIA in Haiti. This details their search for a drug they (doctors & the CIA) could use to control people - turn them into zombies. It mentions, coincidentially, the secret and not-so-secret primate and human experiments occurring at the New York State Psychiatric Institute by a Dr. Leo Rozen (sp). These practices still occur. The NIMH, in fact, are admittedly are giving people with mental illness Angel Dust (aka ketamine) to induce psychosis. This causes more irreversible damage than LSD.

Recently there were series of articles in the Harford Courant (1998) and the Boston Globe on drug abuses and torture used in private and publicly funded psychiatric hospitals.

Rose (a human) is a private investigator and her client wants proof that vampires exist. She does not believe in vampires but the $7000 this job pays will help her make her dream come true. She wants to have a baby but she is unwilling to give up control of her life and settle down with a man so she intends to be artificially inseminated, and the procedure is expensive. On her search for proof of vampires she ends up in bar talking to James who claims to know all about the vampire race. Rose quickly jots down all the information that James begins to tell her then she realizes that James actually believes he is a vampire. Realizing that she may be in the company of a crazy person Rose gets up to leave, then James shows her his fangs and tries to compel her to stay. When that does not work, much to James' surprise, he kidnaps her because he wants her for his own.
When news of the humans kidnapping is made known to Lucien (the leader of the vampires) he calls upon Duncan (a hybrid vampire and Ian's twin from A TASTE FOR REVENGE) to rescue the woman. Duncan does not want to get involved but ultimately he does his leaders bidding and goes on the rescue mission. Duncan has the advantage because, due to his hybrid status, he is able to withstand the sunlight and he knows James cannot.
When Duncan arrives at James' house tempers flare and the fight begins. Duncan ends up trapping James with sunlight and begins searching the house for the kidnapped woman. He finds her in James' room, completely naked, and tied to the bed. Immediately the passions spark, but James escapes and Duncan has to fight to keep the one person he has ever been drawn to out of harm's way. Duncan wants Rose, there is no doubt about that, but he absolutely refuses to take a mate. Rose resists Duncan's help at first, but then realizes she is going to need some help when another, even older and stronger, vampire threatens her safety.
As their journey takes them to their homeland of Ireland their lust for each other overwhelms them and their control cracks a little at a time. James unknowingly converts Rose to a vampire. Could James fulfill Rose's dream of having a baby? How will Rose react when she realizes that James does not want to have children? Can they give up their control for the love that is growing between them?

I got my first glimpse of Patrice Michelle's writing in SCIONS: RESURRECTION, upon finishing that book I order several more of her books. I was a little hesitant to read this book because I was disappointed in the editing quality of A TASTE FOR PASSION so I was not expecting much better from this book and I am glad it exceeded my expectations. Duncan and Rose's story was a sizzling tale. Patrice Michelle paints a vivid picture of her vampire world that draws the reader. It can get a little confusing with the different vampire races and their background, but the book does not focus too much on that so my overall rating was not effected. It certainly helped that the book was longer than most Ellora's Cave books and I do not believe you have to read this series in order. I purposely skipped A TASTE FOR REVENGE to see if these books could be read out of order. There were references to the first 2 books but no gaping holes so I believe this book could stand alone as a novel. I recommend this book and I will be checking out more tales from this author.

Kudos Patrice, I enjoyed this story.

Dramatic, seductive and emotionally gripping, A Taste of Control is a must read. Rose and Duncan are the best of this wonderfully woven world of vampires from Patrice Michelle yet, but the Kendrian characters are unforgettable as a whole.

I wanted to wrap my arms around Duncan and hold on forever. He's a man's man whose tortured soul calls to a woman instantly, even in all his intensity.

Kudos to Ms. Michelle on what I believe is her best story yet!"

What happens when a mind-reading hybrid vampire meets a stubborn human woman whose tight rein of control over her emotions rivals his? While looking for proof that vampires existed at an exclusive club, Rose Sinclair, a PI, finds herself kidnapped by a rogue vampire. She is rescued by Ducan Mordoor in the nick of time but the medallion that Rose inherited from her mother starts a chain of events that plunges them into further danger and suspense.

If you've ever experienced the feeling of being an outsider, you will be able to relate to Duncan with ease. Duncan's stoic exterior conceals a sensitive soul while Rose has her own hidden emotional wounds. Patrice's skill in writing scorching love scenes requires no introduction. Watching the two of them fight their attraction to each other while contending with vampire politics and unexpected twists makes for an engrossing and satisfying read.

loved it great followup to the first 2 in the series this had a better story line and kept you going to the end

This book was very good. I read it in one sitting. I would recommend this book to anyone. You have to read this book. You will not be disappointed. I have added the author to my autobuy list.

Since I had my baby 3 years ago I've been battling with the weight problem, but I started to solve the problem the very first day I began with this book.. the most shocking fact was the breakfast, since I change the way of taking my meals I've seen my pounds melt away.. Excellent book!!

The book was slow for me at the beginning because I've always hated science. There was a great deal of thorough explanations about how our bodies function and what functions indicate that something is quite wrong. Because of the scientific info which I usually avoid, I continued reading the book until every piece of information filtered in. I have a Dominican culture where the food diet is very heavy starting with breakfast, midafternoon lunch and evening; So it's interesting to learn what NOT to eat, and/or what eat to make our bodies function properly, and simultaneously loose weight without starving to death. And the best about the book were the recipes suggested as samples at the end of the book! I was so used to heavy meals that I couldn't figure out how to make it lighter. The book helped until I got used to it.

My email address is jaime@warwick.com and/or jaimeisaac@sprintmail.com, please reply if this book is available in English because I've been recommending it and most of my friends are not Spanish.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS BOOK IS THE SPANISH TRANSLATION VERSION OF FIT FOR LIFE.

I started on this diet 18 months ago and boy, what a difference.

I am sharper, brighter, more alive, better at my work, more energetic, can eat as much as I like, suffer no ill health or pain and discomfort...I could go on all day but I think you get the idea. This book is not a diet fad, it is a life changer.

You may think that a book talking about fresh fruit and vegetables, air, water, sunshine and exercise is just common sense. Well you would be right, it is. Unfortunately with all the different opinions we receive from health advisers and food companies it is easy to get confused about what we should eat.

I would suggest trying this diet for 10 days and see how you feel. I suspect you will notice an improvement in well being very quickly and any way the money you spend on the book will be paid back by a lower grocery bill (fresh produce is cheaper than cooked or processed). What have you got to lose?

Well done Harvey and Marilyn Diamond for speaking the truth, and thank you.

As soon as I started reading I put in effect all the knowledge acquired in the book. I immediately noticed how my body reacted in a very positive way.

This book is an incredible amount of knowledge for all people of all ages with sufficient conscience to start a new way of eating, not dieting!

Simply you don't need another book on diets and antidiets in fact. This books tells you all about your "system". I personally think that the human body is a nice machine, the only problem is that comes without manuals. This book is the digestive aparatus "manual", it simply changed my life. Now I'm not fully vegetarian, but I learned to eat well, and practically forgot what means stomach problems. A must read book if you have enough will force to order your eating habits.

Abby Lewis has never been comfortable with her weight. But when her father dies and she moves in with her comfort-food cooking grandmother, the problem begins to take hold of her life. In LESS IS MORE, the third installment in Wendy Lawton's Real TV series, a grieving Abby must start all over without her father and adjust to life in the big city. Grieving the loss of her father, friends and everything she once knew, Abby begins to eat away her feelings --- quite literally. As she continues to pack on the pounds, her self esteem begins to plummet. She is excited to receive an invitation to the local youth group but is soon given a cruel nickname by her fellow students, causing further pain.

Luckily, Abby begins to develop a friendship with kind football star Parker and nutrition-crazy Isabella, who help her to reexamine her choices. She decides that she must start to shed some pounds, but with each thought of her father, the binging continues --- and it sure doesn't help that her grandmother is constantly feeding her with some of the most fattening foods on the market.

However, everything begins to change one day when Abby is mysteriously summoned out of class and gets the surprise of her life. Unbeknownst to Abby, new best friend Isabella and gym teacher Coach Matthews submitted an application for her to appear on the hit reality series "Less is More." On the show, contestants undergo a holistic approach to weight loss. Each is assigned to a personal trainer and a nutritionist, and the causes of the weight problems are examined and addressed. "Less is More" has long been Abby's favorite program, and she can't turn down the full scholarship offered to her if she reaches her goal weight. With Coach Matthews as her trainer and Isabella as her nutritionist, can Abby finally drop the pounds that have so long troubled her and reverse the negativity she's constantly surrounded by?

LESS IS MORE gives a fresh and relatable perspective to an issue that many teens struggle with. Not only will readers enjoy the exciting, though at times heartbreaking, plot of the book, they also will take something away from it. The novel aims to teach both those who struggle with weight issues and those who have never even considered their nutritional choices. It offers solid advice on maintaining a healthy diet, without dieting, and keeping fit through regular exercise, which is valuable to any reader. Lawton is careful to encourage a healthy body image, no matter what someone's weight might be. At the same time, the book addresses the unseen consequences of so-called harmless teasing.

The focus on a reality TV show is merely the backdrop for a much larger and more poignant story. Readers undoubtedly will be inspired by Abby's journey and begin to more carefully evaluate their own decisions.

--- Reviewed by Jennifer Crosby

Sixteen-year-old Abby Matthews battles grief after her father's sudden death. Then, when she and her mother move from Suwanee, Georgia to San Francisco, her emotional cocooning and unhealthy eating packs on more weight than she expected. This makes the first days at her new school and in her new youth group miserable. Through her new friendships, she's chosen for the weight loss show, "Less Is More." If only we all had such good friends! This entire book series is based on the current reality TV shows, like Trading Spaces and Discovery Health's National Body Challenge. It's difficult to pick a favorite as Lawton's Changing Faces (Book 1,) and Flip Flop (Book 2,) are also written with a keen insight into relationships, personal struggles and how God doesn't desert us in our troubles, large or small. I've enjoyed all the books so far.

Wonderful book! Real life. Real issues. And reality TV! Wendy Lawton provides a delightful read for girls -- and the moms who love them. Highly recommended!

Wendy Lawton knows how to reach teens, illustrating through relationships among family and friends, the power of words, the power of understanding, and the power of grace. Some things are more important than fame and the perfect figure.

Wendy Lawton gives us a real heroine in Abby. She and her Mom move across country to live with Grandma Cece after Abby's Dad dies. Abby, like most of us, eats to deal with the pain of all the loss and change. She puts on some weight. A student leader of her new youth group gives her an unflattering nick name, but she bears it with grace. She makes new friends. They help her grow spiritually, even the one who's not yet a Christian. This is a great story of the power of words, the power of Grace, and the power of friendship. Great read.