Organizations Books

I found this to be a wonderful piece of work and have lent it to several friends who were diagnosed with cancer. Monsignoir Velo's reading was very delightful and I give him a lot of credit for being able to read his good friend's memoires.

Beautifully written. As Cardinal Bernardin reflects on the last three years of his life, he shares the importance of embracing prayer, family, suffering, beauty, reconciliation, pain, and forgiveness in order to appreciate and completely enter into the fullness of peace.

For anyone who feels lost or alone in life or frustrated, angry, or scared at the thought of facing death, I recommend this book. Love and peace pour out of the pages as the author shares his life experiences, struggles, and genuine concern for others. He shared his love with countless people he encountered in his life, and his love continues to be shared after his death to any reader who has the opportunity to read this book.

The book is quite short (can easily be read in one sitting) and is incredibly focused and well organized. The book title, chapter titles, and introductory letter are handwritten by the author and really add genuineness to the book. Highly recommended.

Joseph Cardinal Bernardin made a very large impact on the City of Chicago. A simple, humble, very human being, he was greatly loved by all Chicagoans. At the end of his life, two huge events impacted his life, being falsely charged with sexual molestation by a young man, and learning that his life was soon to end as the victim of cancer. This book is a moving, eloquent statement of how he dealt with these and how his faith in God was tested and ultimately made rock solid. It is an inspiration to all who who are faced with burdens beyond their strength.

I have purchased this book several times and recommended it on numerous other occasions. I bought it first for myself, and on the other occasions for friends, family members and acquaintances who were dealing with serious illness and end of life issues. The feedback received from each recipient has been very positive. Cardinal Bernardin leads the reader through his last days of life as he deals in a very graceful and touching way with terminal cancer, life's issues and personal spirituality. It's not long until the reader feels he or she is walking the journey with a close friend. Through his experinece, Cardinal Bernardin helps the reader deal with his or her own mortality in a peaceful way. He is still ministering to us. I highly recommend this book for all those dealing with illness, family members, ministers, and healthcare professionals. Incidently, You don't have to be Catholic to fully appreciate this book.

Those of us losing our eyesight and who love to read often turn to the audiobook. It is like having a wonderful text read to us at bedtime as we listen on levels spiritual and psychological unreached by silent reading. Please notice the audiobook of this present precious text of peace is read by a Monsignor, a close coworker of this blessed Cardinal.

The false accusations of abuse made against this great American Cardinal were quickly cleared up, and this slim volume insightfully and clearly records that process and the holy process of reconciliation with his false accuser, in a lesson for us of peace and reconciliation and of forgiveness of those who most completely destroy us. The Cardinal truly lives and demonstrates for us the promise we make each time we pray the Our Father. Forgive us in the same way that we forgive those who have trespassed against us. Forgive us with the same forgiveness we show others. Just as we must do unto others what we want others to do for us, JEsus also calls us actively to forgive others in the same way we want the Father to forgive us. This saintly and courageous Cardinal Forgave the disturbed young man who falsley accused him of abuse, and this book well displays the process, that we might also learn to forgive, in the Love of God, in our interpersonal relationships and national policies.

How many times must we forgive, o Lord. Not seven but seventy times seven.

We need in our national Catholic Church this voice now more than ever. Read this book and weep and become renewed in our Gospel mission to love and to forgive and to spread the good news to the poor and liberation to the captives. Sight to the Blind. In this time of unjust war and overwhelming violence, we need to hear this book.

Yet some Catholics for political reasons continue to condemn this saintly man (while silent on Cardinal Law), eagerly assuming the accusations true, or some association with others similarly accused, in order not to hear the exhortation by this great Cardinal that the right to life does not end at birth, but at a natural and God given death. The right to life must be supported at every point in our life and in every aspect of life. This great CArdinal elaborated for our edification the seamless garment explanation of the right to life.

Womb to tomb.

Please read this book.

I must rush to Mass now, and I bring this book with me to help my confused prayer. I thank God this great and holy and courageous Cardinal left us this Gift of Peace in the weeks before his untimely death. As head of the USCCB at the time of the crafting of the prophetic letter The Challenge of Peace, his courageous voice is needed now more than ever. Yet we have this, his abiding Gift of Peace, and that strong letter for peace. Take and read.

Pray for peace. Receive this Gift of Peace.

Outstanding book by a true professional. MSG Howe is the real deal and an outstanding authority in his field. Would recommend this for any law enforcement or military professional.

Very good book, well structured, pleasant to read. The examples are clear, and the theories easy to apply, even if you aren't L.E. or military.

This is the best book on military leadership and training I have ever read and I have read a few on this subject. All of my team leaders are reading it now after hearing nothing but great reviews from myself. I think all NCO's in the Army, reguardless of MOS, should read this book.

Short and sweet, this is one of the three best treatments of the subject that I have ever seen.

Well thought out, well laid out and well written by someone who fully understands training for and leadership in critical situations. The core concepts are clean and easy to follow and well illustrated by the stories,examples and quotations. The book transcends combat. These principles can be applied any dynamic condition where a critical outcome must be achieved.

Well done, MSG Howe.

I really enjoyed this book. I currently serving in the US ARMY in Iraq. My only wish is that we as soldiers could implement what is talked about in this book. I am sad to say that the author is right about how our society is screwed due to pussies as is our military. Anyways, Great book deffinetely recomend it to any and all combat soldiers.

I've been in IT for over 25 years, and in that time I've read a lot of technical books. "File System Forensic Analysis" is not only the best book I have read on computer forensics, it's probably the best technical work in ANY field I've ever read. It's thoroughly researched, clearly written, and contains virtually no fluff. The numerous rave reviews it has received are well-deserved.

My only quibble is the short, but seemingly gratuitous section on hexadecimal and decimal arithmetic. If you're ready for this book, you'll already know this stuff. But, that's only a few pages in a book that's otherwise packed with real substance.

I can't say enough good things about this book and author. The material is beautifully laid out and the writing style is fluid and effortless. The author has a real talent for using metaphors and figures to illustrate elusive concepts.

All but the very rarest file systems are covered, and numerous 'screenshots' show how to use the Linux command prompt and get your hands dirty exploring disks on your own.

While this book is a gold standard for digital forensic examiners, it would also be valuable to the computer enthusiast who's interested in things such as what happens to their hard drive when they format it, exactly what happens during the boot process, etc.

I've had 3 courses in digital forensics, and this book gives an in-depth discussion of disk level concepts (HPA, FAT, MFT, etc) that were merely glossed over in my formal studies.

Great resource on file systems and file system data structures, although I wish it covered Apple's HFS+.

Thanks a lot, we are very happy to have this book in our library!

Great Book. Great job Brian. A must have in your bookshelf if you are serious about computer forensics.
It only lacks two things to be perfect: a reiserfs and a HFS+ sections.

Only an error. GPT partition schema isn't used only in big servers. New Intel Macintoshes use it by default for their boot drive.

A Must read for anyone willing to find the true Christianity. Reveals and explains the Orthodox Church the true and holy one settled by Christ and continued by the apostles and having no modern changes of faith or trends. The same true and holy faith as in the first centuries worshiped by the apostles.

This is my favorite book on Christianity. Less than 150 pages - yet it is rich in meaning and application. I have bought several copies of this book as a gift for others who might be interested in the meaning of Communion and the purpose of Worship. My original copy of this book has almost every word underlined. Fr. Schmemann's writing style is warm and very insightful. A truly great book - I'd say one of the classics of Christianity, like C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity," it should be in every Christian's library and read at least once a year!!

As an ordained Anglican friend of mine said, "Buy this book, it kicks a**." It is fantastic.

I am Catholic. I began reading Orthodox theology about five years ago, after experiencing the Orthodox liturgy in the most dramatic and sublime manner possible: at Pascha vigil. It simply blew me away. In thirty years of weekly mass attendance I had never seen anything remotely approaching what I encountered that night.

That unknown beauty both crushed and liberated me. It revolutionized my worldview.

I began reading everything I could on ecclesiology, Church history, liturgy, and Orthodox apologetics. For Orthodox thinkers I dug into Lossky, Fr. Meyendorff, Elder Ephraim, Archbishop Kalistos Ware, the Philokalia, Pere Clement, St. Gregory Palamas, the Desert Fathers, the Cappadocian Fathers, St. John Climacus, Solzenhitzen, so on & forth. It was all utterly amazing. I had had no idea.

This book though, is a standout even amongst such rarified company. Schmemann is simply stunning. From the first page he piles insight atop insight. I've given my copy of the book away, so I haven't got it in front of me. Still, from memory I can tell you that he takes and reveals to you blatantly obvious truths about the sacramental life that have been right in front of our noses all along. That all of creation is in fact Eucharistic, rent with power of the Resurrection. You will never approach the chalice with the same mind again, once you've read it.

Orthodox theology and spirituality is most often like this: limpid & fierce, uncompromising. Very bracing, in a culture as decadent and corrupt in it's thinking as ours.

Shamefully, only the very best in contemporary Catholicism - both in terms of liturgy and theology - can touch or exceed the Orthodox average.

That said, the tragedy of historical Orthodoxy is that has been unable to make an apologetic case for itself in the so called West. Ground as they were for so long under the heel of all those Arabs, Turks, Tartars and communists. Maybe those persecutions preserved the "East" from modernity, and are the reason the flame burns so clean, particularly in the Russian, Arab & OCA parishes I've visited? God scourges those he favors, after all.

The yoke is mostly cast off, though. This seems to me to be an Orthodox moment. Can they get their act together, throw the bushel basket off their lamp, and engage the world? If the Orthodox are the Catholic Church of the Creed, as virtually every Orthodox I've talked to has insisted, I demand nothing less. (Heh. Demand! Quelle cheek, huh?) Heretics are swarming the West. So where's our Tome of Leo? Where is it? Is there a bishop to equal Athanasius in the East? Or are the Orthodox going to succumb to secularism, now that they've slipped the Communist & Saracen yokes? Will rationalism, relativism, sloth, lust and avarice do them in too? Will suburbia demand organs and pews, shorter liturgies, prefab iconography, the abrogation of feasts & fasts, & the rest? Or will Slavic ferocity save them?

No matter, all irrelevant, it seems. Orthodoxy isn't even really on the cultural radar screen. The Orthodox take on Church history is just incomprehensible here, mostly because people have never heard any of it before. The categories and data are for the most part utterly foreign. Is this excusable?

Or is it simply as it was in Noah's time, foreordained that no one should care about the Ark? But didn't Noah warn the people, anyway?

Or are the Orthodox anointed with the Sign of Jonah? And is the West Nineveh?

Or are they - God forbid - simply petulant xenophobic schismatics with nothing relevant to share?

In any case, this book - as well as everything else I've read by Schmemann and other Orthodox authors - needs to become part of our common discourse.

The time is ripe. The harvest is now. We all need to be Orthodox. Just as we need to be Catholic. Not all Roman, but Orthodox Catholics.

Which isn't necessarily to say that there isn't a Petrine charism or primacy of power in the Church, as per Isaiah 22:15-25.. Nor is it to say that ultra-montagne papists don't have a hard historical lesson or fifty to learn along the lines of the Donation of Constantine affair.

Let there be polemics! Catholic Answers & Co. all need more of a challenge than shooting poor 'fundamentalist' fish in a barrel. Please! Help them! Their apologetics are sooo boring. Spot them 1 Tim. 3:15. The rest of their apologetic directed at the prots is sheer redundancy. Let's get down to nuts and bolts and excavate the meaning of that verse. It all boils down to that.

The significance of the primacy is already planted firmly on the table. John Paul did that. Benedict is now throwing up huge signals, too. No one I heard remarked on the most interesting thing about his oh so terribly scandalous Regensburg speech. That quotation was not arbitrary. A pope does not accidentally quote Orthodox (Imperial!) sources.

I just know that all can be resolved and forgiven, if we only submit to each other in love and (re)adhere to our tradition. If the Arians were vanquished, why not our schism? As Paul re-embraced Peter? Forget Vatican III. Why not Nicea III?

I'm sure the Turks will accommodate us ..

The Harvest awaits. The gates of hell shall not prevail.

SS. Cyril & Methodius, SS Benedict & Anthony, SS Augustine & Athanasius,

Pray for us.

After I have heard so many good things about Fr. Schmemmann and his contribution to the Orthodox Christian udnerstanding both in my church and on my livejournal, I decided to give this book a try. At first, I thought this book to be very difficult to read. Ideas were packed together in very tight, detached, scholastic manner, which differed both from companing kinds that I read in Russian or easy-easy modern Protestant. As I read on, I have discovered the depth and spendor of Fr. Schmemmann ideas about liturgical mission of life, daily devition, relationship to the world, and, most importantly, the meaning of sacraments and their connection to our everyday activity. Fr. Schmemmann was aware both of the intellectual and common culture of his time, as it was seen in his writings, but he never let them to dominate over his Christian teachings. He was also aware of the Tradition - something that many of us heard of, but never really reailzed.
I bought this book to share with my Protestant boyfriend, but now I am learning from it and rethinking my ideas of the Orthodox Christian theology and life.

Carolyn Corbin intertwined her future predictions of the 21st Century with leader/worker development to become a viable workforce in the future she predicted. While not outside the realm of common sense, her predictions are still eerily thought-provoking.

This book outlined the five steps to becoming a leader in the 21st Century. In Step One, she discussed assessing one's own leadership effectiveness and compared that to what skills will be needed for the future. She summarized major world changes into four "dynaforces" of the 21st Century...globalization, marketization, informatization, and democratization. Step Two was order the chaos. Many futures books discuss how to adapt to change or how to go with the flow...so I was exceedingly curious what exactly she proposed to "order" this. She thoroughly explained the future factors that will lead to change and chaos, and the more we understand these factors we can pro-actively work to diffuse as many chaotic factors as possible. Step Three provided many examples of blending multiple organizational models of profit, non-profit, government, religious, higher education, and more. She shows the limitless possibilities of applying successful models from organizations that have already dealt with issues to different types of organizations that will be confronting similar issues in the future. Steps Four and Five have to do with the individual-engaging employees on all levels of their person and providing a workforce that fosters their innovation.

She illuminates the skills we can develop today to prepare for tomorrow. Whether intentional or not, her description of the future makes one re-examine everything you think about current leadership training and how it does not adequately prepare employees for what is to come.

Being a retired Nacy Captain, I was asked to speak to Canadian Navy officers on the subject "Leadership in the New Millennium." I am pleased to tell you that the theme of my presentation was from Mrs. Corbin's book, "Great Leaders See The Future First." I found it to be a marvelous reference, and I held up my copy twice during the presentation saying, "If you have time for only one book, consider this one!"

As a result of this presentation, I was approached by the Association of Professional Engineers of Nova Scotia and asked to repeat my presentation at the kick off of National Engineering Week. Again, I referred to Mrs. Corbin's book and urged them to use it."

Carolyn Corbin's: Great Leaders see the Future First: Taking Your Organization to the Top in Five Revolutionary Steps, balances practical how-tos (in just about every paragraph) with great stories. Her bottom line: if you don't change from being what she calls a Level 1 leader (reactionary, always busy, focus on gathering & analyzing information, sacrifice innovation to pursue continuous improvement) you will be obsolete by 2010! To survive you must be moving to Corbin's Level 2 (strategizing, focusing on the whole person, leading at warp speed, improve through innovation).

Most of the book covers a quick way for moving from a level 1 to a level 2 leader by applying the following 5 steps:

1) Orchestrate a 360 degree worldview (use strategies to be "tossed" high in the air to see 5, 10, 25 years into the future)

2) Order the chaos (by controlling it)

3) Use a blend multiple organizational models (like for-profits, nonprofits, universities, military, religious institutions - because one will not longer do)

4) Engage the whole person (meet employee's physical and spiritual needs like day care, elder care, and providing work-place Chaplains)

5) Ignite innovation (via creativity, remove inhibitors, add humor)

You might think that 214 pages would go fast. But the book had an uncanny ability of slowing me down as I focused on my own style of leadership, my own organization's shortcomings. Every page is packed with something to move the reader from Level 1 to Level 2. For example, in the chapter 6 on "The Role of the 21st Century Leader" ideas included crafting an organizational mission statement in 10 (5 is preferable) key words, really listen to workers and act on their requests, understand other cultures, and move from a 20th century leader to a 21st century leader by changing from being:

boss --> coach
authoritarian --> participatory
tough --> tough and tender
informs --> listens
status from position --> status from working harder

Late in the book Corbin asks the reader to spend time going through two self-assessment exercise: 1) exploring your soul and 2) assessing your preferences and core competencies. My only critique of the work is the lack of more of these kinds of reflective exercises earlier in the book.

Although Great Leaders may not be as holistic as Steven Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People which deals more deeply with all aspects of one's personal, business and professional life, I do recommend it for any leader who influences the future of their organization. I recommended it to two of our Human Resources personnel after they gave a "How to Managing Our Institution's Way" seminar.

Dave Harmeyer
Pepperdine University doctoral student (Ed.D. Educational Technology)

1. Synopsis:

Corbin's foresee that by 2010 great leaders must be at what she calls level 2 leaders, and in order to operate at this level these leaders must: Orchestrate a 360 degrees worldview, Order the chaos, blend multiple organizational, engage the whole person, and ignite innovation.

Orchestrate a 360 degree worldview includes two steps:1. Gather organizational intelligence by overcoming worldwide trends that occurs during periods of opportunity (or windows) and foresee the outcome (or issues); and 2. Understand the dyna-forces (interesting concept) created by these worldwide trends that originate systematic change. These dyna-forces are: globalization, marketization, informatization and democratization.

In order to overcome chaos, level 2 leaders need to figure out the root cause of the chaos (changes in speed, changes in rules or changes in structure), be aware of the new century organization models and be prepared for the role of the 21st century leader (level 2).

Level 2 leaders need to foresee the blending of multiple organization models during the next Century, foresee the driving of the 21st Century worker and be aware of the present blending of organizations and the strategies applied to blend those organizations.

Level 2 leaders will need to engage the 21st Century worker as a whole person and not by his/her skills and ignite innovation at any cost.

Corbin foresees a hermaphrodite workplace (androgynous) where man (FINALLY) will learn soft skill (typically considered feminine) by engaging in a spiritual search.

Final Comment:

This last statement along with numerous stereotypes, sexist and deeply Christian religious remarks, casts big doubts about the seriousness of the book. What a shame!

The title of this book should not be taken literally. What Corbin correctly suggests is that the most effective leaders are those who recognize, sooner than anyone else does, certain indicators of what often become emerging trends and perhaps even a new industry. Stated another way, they see the possible (perhaps probable) implications and consequences of events occurring now. I am reminded of countless such situations when someone (later characterized as a "visionary") said something like this: "If we can figure out how to pressurize the cabin, an airplane can transport people as well as cargo." Thus is how entirely new industries are developed. Corbin's book is about "becoming a great leader under a new set of global rules....Organizations are recognizing the value in looking ahead. Scanning the horizon for various internal and external trends, global changes, economic booms and busts, and demographic peaks and valleys is part of the regular routine in many enterprises." At least ideally, these organizations develop leadership at all levels, creating what Tichy characterizes as a "leadership engine."

Corbin's objective is to help her reader take her or his organization "to the top in five revolutionary steps." In the first chapter, she provides (Figure 1.1) a "Leadership Level Evaluation Exercise" which poses 22 questions. The respondent is thus able to calculate her or his score and thereby determine at which of two levels of leadership she or he is at the moment. Corbin then shifts her attention to the five "revolutionary steps" to which the book's subtitle refers. They are:

1. Orchestrate a 360 Degree Worldview (Chapters 1-3)

2. Order the Chaos (Chapters 4-6)

3. Blend Multiple Organizational Models (Chapters 7-9)

4. Engage the Whole Person (Chapter 10)

5. Ignite Innovation (Chapter 11)

Each of these steps is explained and then developed in detail. It is important to note that Corbin contrasts dominant characterizes of Level 1 and Level 2 leaders. For example, L1's react, emphasize hard skills, gather information, and manage positions whereas L2's strategize, focus on the whole person, lead at warp speed, and manage people flow. You get the idea. My own experience suggests that what Corbin calls a Level 1 leader is a believer and involved whereas a Level 2 leader is a zealot or evangelist and engaged. I urge you to check out a book which is entirely devoted to Level 2 leaders. Its title is Radicals and Visionaries, written by Thaddeus Wawro and now available in a paperback edition.

One of the book's most valuable chapters is the last, "Trumping the Competition", in which Corbin suggests that the Organizational Chaos Model (Figure 4.1) can help an organization to overcome its competition. "The goal is for your organization to change the rules, structure, and speed of its industry so that your competitors are thrown into chaos....The idea is to confuse the enemy. While the opponent is digging out of the confusion, the organization in the offensive position seizes the dominant position." She lists and then briefly discusses "The Nine Factors of Innovation" which can help to achieve such dominance, in process providing analyses of various industries to illustrate her key points. She concludes with a call to action, urging her reader to "execute boldly, step forward courageously, and lead responsibly as if your organization's prosperity depends on it -- because it does." I join her in wishing "Godspeed, great leader."

I'm a fan of these giant DK coffe table books. This was my first and is still my favorite. Tons of beautiful pictures of our planet. All sorts of exotic locales I didn't know existed. Especially nice to have if you're an artist of any kind looking for inspiration.

I saw a smaller version from a local bookstore, bought the large version from Amazon, the fonts are much more comfortable to read. I am using the book as a reference, feel very satisfied. The book is also good for random browsing, the paper and printing are both of very high quality.

THIS IS GREAT BOOK WITH A LOT OF INFO. MY TEENAGER LOVES IT AND SO DOES MY HUSBAND

This book was a Christmas request from my 6th grader who is very curious about earth sciences. He was genuinely excited to see it when he opened it. In some ways it is more like a coffee table picture book than a reference book. It is lavishly illustrated with detail-captioned photos and charts. This is not the kind of book you're going to sit down and read cover to cover, but instead are going to use like a good encyclopedia of earth science. My older child, who is interested in astronomy, received the companion book "Universe" and the two make a beautiful pair of additions to the reference library.

A great book with a nice balance of pictures (including some full page) and informative text about, well...about nature!

What an amazing book. Infact this is far more than a book it is a guide to creating and building great teams. If you have ever wondered why some team building events don't work this is a must read book. My sincere thanks to the team who put this together. This book will change the way Organisational Development/HR specialists and Performance Consultants go about their work. It is that influential. Like all the best material, simple to understand and powerful in the way it insightfully helps you to see things for what they are.

I have worked in organisational design/business performance and HR for over 20 years and this is one of the most imformative and best books I have ever read. It has reinforced my long held views about the need to understand the dynamics of what makes for a great team. If you also ever wondered why you felt automatically part of some teams and others almost rejected you before you even got started, then this is a 'must read' book. I have become a raving fan and will enthusiatically introduce the concepts and methods, as I have the fortune and privalage, in my day to day work, to make a difference to the lives and work of the thousands of people I come into contact with.

Mark Pym
Director of Reward Matrix & Great Teams

I was initially put off by the title of this book, but once I started reading it i couldn't put it down. This is by far the best organizational behavior book I have ever come across and it literally changed the way I view my own company's culture, as well as those of our clients, and people I meet every day.

The book is easy to read, and summaries of the key ideas at the end of each chapter make it easy to review, retain concepts, and implement their suggestions. I recommend spacing out the book by reading a chapter a day over a few weeks so you have time to reflect on the book's concepts and really digest the material. I've recommended this book to all my co-workers, clients, colleagues, and partners at my firm. A must have!

There is a tidal wave of Leadership and How To's out there on the market. Having read most of the best sellers, this book stands out as one that will have a lasting effect on how Leaders and Managers think of their mission. I particularly enjoyed the development of the levels/stages of teams. The sought after level five is where history is made and teams see beyond their current task. When you get right down to it, it is about legacy. Are you enriching the lives of others or not? The authors cleverly use real life case studies that give us a guidepost on just how to make this a reality in our own lives and businesses.

I plan to keep this one close to my desk and refer back to it many times. It is an excellent teaching and coaching tool for developing effective teams.

As CEO Coach, Poet and author of a leadership book that helps leadrs unleash their genius and the genius of their corporations, I find this book a great resource for leading change. They help you understand the nature of corporate tribes and how to move people up to higher levels of performance. A must read. Paul David Walker Unleashing Genius: Leading Yourself, Teams and Corporations

Dave Logan and his team deliver poignant concepts in an easy to read and entertaining book that will quite likely change your perspective on your culture at work and also your personal life. It is a must read for those interested in increasing efficiency and enhancing relationships. The 5 stages approach make sense and the authors give clear recommendations on how you and your team can progress through the stages.

This is an excellent book. Focused more on the overall art of problem solving as opposed to specific problem-solving techniques/algorithms, this is one of those rare books that can change the way you approach a general discipline...that of problem solving in this case.

The organization of the book, the level of detail into which each section delves and the overall pace of the writing are all well-suited for a general reading audience. For those readers interested in specific algorithms related to problem solving, Numerical Recipes 3rd Edition: The Art of Scientific Computing may represent a better choice.

I highly recommend this book to all readers interested in problem solving in general.

Every researcher's first reference book is a comprehensive treatment of the methods, designs and analysis strategies needed for their discipline. This book is a complement rather than a substitute for such a basic research reference. It covers the tactics, organizational strategies--even attitudes--that are needed on a practical level to get research done.

I suggest using this book to do a quick "needs analysis" of your research style. Turn to the Preface and read through the annotated table of contents to identify the research tactic you most need to improve. (Mine was "Establish a Filing System.") You can assimilate the corresponding chapter in a few minutes and begin improving your skills.

With 38 different chapters covering topics that range from overcoming "Beginner's Mind" to "Use the Internet" there is something for every researcher. I can envision an undergraduate research methods professor leading beginning researchers through a needs assessment discussion and assigning them to both remediate their top weakness and sharpen their top strength--knowing all the time that many will be enticed into reading most of the other chapters, too. (I can also imagine a surly senior professor hurling it at his new research assistant with "Don't bother me until you have read this!" I suppose that teaching strategy would work, too. But I won't recommend it.)

The chapters are well organized and easy to learn from. Resources include both recommended books for in-depth exploration of each topic and a large number of relevant web sites for fast-click discovery. The book's own web site is a great place to start.

A great resource to sharpen your research abilities and an enjoyable read, this book is worth its place on your bookshelf.

It is different from, and for many purposes, better than a science textbook. More than enough science books have been written, but TNIK is better because it teaches readers how to think about the data on which science is built. Its fresh approach to understanding the natural world as well as human-made systems is a noteworthy improvement over the plug-in, grind-out perspective that academic classes typically offer and that turns off students.

I expected the author to talk much about statistical analysis and related "technical stuff". I had been very wrong. In fact, the book can be regarded as a warning to common people about the "irrelevancy" and "inaccuracy" of data or information we encounter or process so that we can perform better analysis of on our own. As from pg 197, "of primary importance from this book are the following lessons:-"

- Don't be intimidated by anyone (esp those know-it-alls)
- Be a critical thinker
- Don't confuse what's countable with what really counts
- Get organized
- Question authority
- Dig into the numbers
- Focus on the essential
- Document, document, document
- Use the internet
- Remember that others don't care as much about your work as you do
- Synthesis follows analysis

In short, a good read. Dont miss it.

p.s. I like the following quotes from the book very much. (The author did use over 31 quotes with at least one for each chapter)

Just because I use a study to refute another study does not mean my study is right. It just means I believe it. Caveat Emptor. - Cynthia Crossen

Whether or not someone else knows it all isn't really relevant; the only thing that's relevant is what you know and what you do. - Robert Ringer

While no doubt I've heard many of nuggets contained in the book over the course of my high school and college days, I found Koomey's book a pleasurable read and useful synthesis of approaches and tips for completing quality research and analyses. Internalizing Koomey's advice is going to help most readers be more discriminating consumers of published research and better authors of their own research. It's a reference source I've already gone back to myself in just a few weeks and a great training resource for new consultants my company hires.

This is a great book for your managers. We are using it as a trainig tool through our entire dealership. It's a good read.

I'm in the car business and this is the best book that I have ever read about running my business. I bought a copy for each of my managers and have used the principles discussed in the book to make significant changes in my operation. I highly recommend this book for any retail business owner or manager!

This is 3 books in book. A Leadership Book, A Daily Hands On Template of required tasks, and above all a long term Step by Step Program of how to turn a business around. If anything it is a Roadmap To Success.

Unlike most business books I have read this one is a clear step by step instruction manual of what needs to be done,how it needs be done, and why it should be done. Written in a down to earth style with a no nonsense approach it reinforces clarity of action which gets positive results. Dave has starts at ground zero and work outwards - an area of business activity ignored by most writers who are more interested in the theory of business rather then the nuts and bolts of running and holding a business together.

Thank you Dave

In a recent Maximum Impact message by John Maxwell on "How to Overcome the Six Temptations of Successful Organizations" he acknowledged the source of his message as coming from Dave Anderson's most recent book, "Up Your Business".

I wanted to see what other pearls of wisdom Dave had to share so I bought his book. I was not disappointed! Congratualtions to Dave on a great leadership book!! It is the best thing since sliced bread!!

I especially enjoyed Dave's direct, no nonsense, no-holds-barred style that identifies the entitlement culture that much of our society has bought into and his get-tough advice on how to replace it with a merit culture.

Dave's insights and pearls of wisdom were huge for me as I have more than 38 references penciled in the front of the book that I am taking to the bank.

It's about time someone cut through the pablum surrounding sales strategies, tactics, and all the rest and got to the heart of the matter. We have truly met the enemy...and it is US. In 'Up Your Business' Dave Anderson takes the blinders and the gloves off and offers a practical, honest, straightforward guide for effective management in the automotive industry (or any other people/sales/customer endeavor).

In his usual 'tell it like it is' style Anderson has created the BEST management book I've read in over 15 years of directing sales departments in dealerships. Whether your store sells 50 or 1500 cars a month you'll gain some new insights from the book - and you'll walk away with a new and honest appraisal of your own abilities and efforts.

I couldn't recommend the book more. The best part is...Not only will 'Up Your Business' fulfill its title's promise in your business, it's just a flat-out great read!

This is a great devotional book! My seminary student son ordered this book right before he left on a long trip. The book arrived after he left so I looked through it and got hooked. I have used it for the past month and have drug it around all over the country while highlighting all of the good passages. It looks pretty beat up with all the use. I ordered him another copy because he isn't getting this one back!

I've been reading Celtic Daily Prayers for five years now, and
love to re-read some prayers with their Celtic rhythm and images.
And there's much to explore. There are two series of daily
readings for the year with Biblical references for each day.
I find inspiration from this treasure of a book.

I have used the Celtic Daily Prayer every day for about 5 months. I read the Scriptures for the day, the meditation for the day of the year, and the meditation for the day of the month (repeats). It is consistently outstanding. I have distributed about 10 copies to our church ministers and leaders, and their response has been very positive.

The Celtic Daily prayer book has been a tool I have used for many years.
It has proven to be a source of inspiration, reflection, teaching, refreshment, and I could list many more.

I hope more western Christians will try this tool to draw nearer to the Lord and become more aware of traditions and tools that have developed Disciples for hundreds of years.

For many years, liturgy and formal prayers have been out of favor in Protestant Churches. Many of us are realizing that this rich tradition guarded by our (mostly) Catholic brothers and sisters has a very vibrant place in modern Christian spirituality. The wealth of tradition and unity offered by liturgical worship may be the next "in thing" for Protestants. We've already made hymns cool.
This books serves as a wonderful introduction to some of those practices. There are three sections of set prayers, two with scripture readings and meditations, plus a compline for each day. The CD, which I can't find on Amazon, makes for easier memorization of the prayers and blessings. The book also includes blessings and liturgies for baptisms, communion, marriage, and the like.

Celtic Daily Prayer is a great resource for someone new to the Daily Office, or as an alternative source of liturgies for those already accustomed to this form of worship.

For those interested in an overview of Traditional Christianity, Marcia Ford's Traditions of the Ancients: Vintage Faith Practices for the 21st Century might be a good place to start.