Services Books

This is a surprisingly cool book. It is more than a good title however. Stevens explains that in a world where men are inclined to disbelieve, to be skeptical, to need evidence prior to trusting others this is not true in only one area, religion. He draws parallels between religious and secular selling. E.g.. He shows how the ways people are drawn to any religion can be used as examples of how a good sales/marketing effort has "drawing vs pushing" power. God does not make cold calls, says Stevens and then he makes a very good case for stopping cold calls as well as losing a dial for dollars mentality. Intellectually the arguments are clear and well presented. A short book that you will enjoy (Stevens is the author of Your Marketing Sucks)

Mark Stevens in his 144 page book, God Is A Salesman,
gives one a plesant evening together, visiting as if
good friends. The business world needs the message
conveyed by one who has written more than twenty other
books. Having given this book to my son. I had to buy
another copy to keep.

Reviewed by Elizabeth E. Gibson-Evans for RebeccasReads (3/08)

"God Is a Salesman" is written by Mark Stevens, best-selling author and CEO of the marketing firm MSCO, and one of the most famous marketers in the world. His company's website, [...], takes you into a fascinating commercial of God as The Master Salesman, though not in a negative way as one may think of a salesman in today's world, but in a unique direction as he combines the "commercial with the spiritual to show and teach you how to achieve great success and a new dimension in life."

I cannot say anything better than what you will learn from this book; if applied in your life it will teach you how to be more positive and will be beneficial. I would have never thought of God in the way of a Salesman, however now I can see and understand a whole new way of thinking about Him and life. An extraordinary lesson in this book, well-written, understandable, filled with many experiences of the author that helps you to apply a real-life view and wonderful lesson in your own life. This presents an absolutely great lesson and new view on belief and faith in God--a true blessing to learn from "God is A Salesman" and the true experiences of Mark Stevens. Thank you, Mr. Stevens for a new outlook and lesson in a God-filled life.

I've read a lot of business books, but never one that incorporated God into the subject--I was intrigued! The author makes a lot of great points that gave me food for thought, including: "Religion never says, 'look folks, we really want you to attend church...so each time you do, we'll give you a free appliance." The author describes how to use religion as a divine example, because religion never demeans itself with cheap gimmicks (like the stereotypical used car salesman'). Instead, religion is founded on belief, faith, love, morality, etc. This and similar concepts made me say, "Wow, here is a business book that tells us we can be more successful by using an ethical, thoughtful approach. I believe I will use the lessons from this book everyday.

I was given this book by a "salesman" friend of mine. Even though I am not in the sales field, I identified with the message of this book and hope to use this philosophy in several areas of my life. It has fast become one of my favorite books...I am buying three today to share with friends!

This is an excellent treatise of starting a specialty food store or, perhaps is even more beneficial to one who wishes to wholesale food products to place in food stores or delis..

People wanting to cash in on the current trend towards take-out convenience need this book, as well as From Kitchen To Market and How To Get Your Product Into Supermarkets.

The three books are invaluable for overlapping reasons. A prospective store operator needs to understand how to setup his or her store and, just as important, how their competition operates. Beginning store operators also need to understand their industry in detail not merely from the viewpoint of their competition and from their customers, but from their suppliers position.

Gourmet To Go does a great job from a narrow viewpoint. Probably the only topic not suffriciently explored is the hands'-on advice. Perhaps the next edition will detail the possibilities for including rollergrills, microwaves and how to earn what the industry refers to as "Plus-sales." I'm speaking of the technique in all fast food chains and convenience stores to get customers to spend more money.

Other hands-on topics that should be discussed are controlling theft and the experience of many store operators who have lost significant chunks of money in providing lottery tickets. I know of a feww whose losses exceeded $10,000. Adding insult to injury, lottery only reimburses stores from one to three percent of gross sales and pay-outs for winning tickets. Despite such a poor return on investment, many stores consider it mandatory to provide lottery.

Further, computerizing the store could be considered, as well as installing UPC readers. It is not uncommon to see even the smallest store using such equipment. Yet, those installing such systems all seem to have to reinvent the wheel.

Again, buy this book but augment it with From Kitchen To Market and with How To Get Your Product Into Supermarkets so you can keep up with and, perhaps, improve upon your competition and keep customers, suppliers and yourself happy!

Although, as the name suggests, this book is geared mainly towards gourmet to go operations (specialty food stores with emphasis on catering and gourmet take-out) it is an invuluable resource for anyone thinking about entering the gourmet food industry.

I wasted all kinds of time and money on general business start-up books and learned little more that nothing about starting a gourmet food store (or any business for that matter). The business plan section alone is better than a whole book I purchased on the subject. I found every bit of Gourmet to Go to be extemely useful and after reading it couldn't believe I had even considered going into business without it.

Having some experience with new product projects for major corporations, this somewhat smaller scale, but nonetheless similar principled look at the operations and craft of specialty food store biz is well-done.

It is full of relevant and cogent thoughts for anyone interested in this market niche. What I found very well done is the sections of writing the biz plan and the steps therein critical to putting together and then implementing such.

Also included are fairly thorough lists of resources such as consultants, trade journals, suppliers, etc.

What could possibly have been additionaly useful was stress on two key areas: concentration on obstacles and their probability of happening (i.e. scenario plotting) and finding and use of two key players from the outset: attorney and accountant/tax specialist.

I have been working on opening a specialty food shop/cafe and got stuck on the logistics of planning. After using several guides and books I randomly found (and getting NOWHERE) I decided to buy Gourmet to Go on a recommendation. It is THE best thing I could have ever bought, hands down. It seems that all the questions I had were answered in the book, and the structure of the book leads readers down a logical path through the maze of planning for this type of business. If you are to buy any book on this topic, this is the one. The money spent on this book will save you thousands later on. Two thumbs up!

A friend recently opened a store and this book has acurately addressed some of the issues we are experiencing. The author has a knack for addressing both personal issues such as self doubt, fear, relations with partners as well as topics related to the business. He compels the entrepreneur to think hard about the objectives of his undertaking and then walks him through it step by step.

The sections on site location and templates for creating a business model, mission statement and feasability study are better than two other books that I had purchased.

Most of the book has little to do with specialty food and more about the decision and execution process of opening a new place. I would recomend it to both someone just toying with the idea and someone who is already established.

This book is great for every child. It really gets them to using their imagination. 4 books in one makes for a great value.

This book is filled with such imagination. It is a great book, if your a teacher or a daycare assistant, to read to the kids and have a fun project.

You have to love Harold and his purple crayon! You never know where they are going to take you. In this adventure, he and his crayon meet a king who is sad because there are no flowers in his enchanted garden. Well, Harold finds the reason for this crime and takes care of it.
Well written and in such a nice rhythm. Your child will ask questions, think up scenarios, and wonder aloud at what will happen next.

"One evening Harold got out of bed, took his purple crayon and the moon along, and went for a walk in an enchanted garden".

So begins this classic tale, which expands on numerous original elements first introduced in its also excellent predecessor, Harold and the Purple Crayon.

Harold exists in a world entirely defined by his imagination and the lines he draws with his purple crayon. These include a horizontal line - the horizon, the presence of which puts Harold on the ground, and the moon, placed in the sky, to differentiate what is up from down.

But there is a problem with the enchanted garden; "Nothing grew in it. If he hadn't known it was an enchanted garden, Harold would scarcely have called it a garden at all". To deal with the issue, the protagonist of the story decides to have a conversation with the king.

The action that subsequently unfolds has all the elements of a true heroic quest.

Harold draws a castle (because he knows that kings live in castles) but finds his entrance barred by a gate that has been shut. Ever resourceful, he draws a mouse that is larger than he is. As a result, Harold has been downsized and can freely enter via an adjacent mouse hole. And now comes one of my favorite lines, "He invited the mouse in too, but the mouse preferred to stay outside".

Realizing that as a pint sized person his audience with the king may be compromised, Harold sizes the stairs leading up to the throne room so that he is four and a half steps high - his usual height.

Our hero is called upon to utilize all his resourcefulness to deal with the witch that turns out to have caused the enchantment in the garden. And even after this has been accomplished, more adventure accompanies Harold on his journey back home.

But in the end all is well. Swept away on an out of control flying carpet that climbs even higher than the moon, Harold draws the fireplace and the high backed chair from his living room at home around it. The flying carpet is now a familiar rug. Harold asks his mother (who is seated in the chair) to read him a story before he goes back to bed.

This book is a true delight. I suspect you will enjoy reading it to your children almost as much as they enjoy hearing it read.

Impossible to beat the original "Harold and the Purple Crayon", this is certainly the next best thing. This story is appealing to a somewhat older child than the original story, as it is a bit more complex. It is better than "Trip to the Sky", which has an odd story line that children do not follow as well. The new books that go with the television series are weak in comparison to the books written by Crockett Johnson.

This book is about a boy named Henry Reed who went to a place called Grover's Corner for the summer. He and his friend, Margaret Glass, thought about different ways to earn some money. They decided to create a babysitter's service. This book is good because it helps kids learn about the different ways to earn money for the summer. It also helps kids learn how to babysit different types of children. I loved this book. I hope you will read it.

This was the first Henry Reed book I ever read, shown to me by my mother. Right away I got into the story, though I hadn't read the preceding books in the series. I couldn't keep my eyes off the predicaments of Henry and his best friend, Midge, as they went through their problems and misadventures while looking after children. Told from Henry's point of view in a diary format, he tells a story well and with bits of humour inserted in there additionally. Keith Robertson has made a good character.

Henry Reed, the thin and studious boy who likes to address problems in a logical manner, has set his sights on continuing his fledgling business. Reed and Glass, Inc. made Henry and his sometimes-obnoxious friend Midge Glass some money last year, and after a survey of the neighborhood, Henry discovers that there is a need for baby-sitters in the area. The bulk of the book focuses on the adventures that Henry faces as he tries to run a business with as many problems as rewards.

Even though this might seem like a somewhat dull premise, the character of Henry Reed is so indomitable that he maintains our interest throughout. Children will be impressed with his ability to apply his skills to seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and also with the way that Henry manages to earn respect from the adults that he meets. His intelligence and Midge's creativity lead to amusing solutions for outwitting the children that are determined to be disruptive.

The book is presented as Henry's journal, which allows us to experience the events through Henry's eyes. This works fabulously.

The Henry Reed series was captivating to me as a child in the early eighties, and remained a favorite of mine for many years. Anyone who gives it a chance will fall in love with it.

This book, like the other books in the Henry Reed series, is very enjoyable. Kids of all ages will enjoy Henry's adventures in babysitting. These books are timeless in their ability to provoke laughter and create a sense of fun for the reader.

Anyone who has ever babysat before will be all-too-familiar with the trials Henry and Midge have to suffer through in this third book of the Henry Reed series. Keith Robertson does it once again with wacky babysitting scenarios everyone can identify with. You'll be cheering by the end of the book -- I guarantee it.

Harvey McKinnon's brilliant book literally delivers what it says on the cover. If you haven't got a monthly giving proposition you're already well behind, but this book will quickly get you back in front. If you are recruiting monthly donors, Harvey's book will help you to do it better. Harvey McKinnon is acknowledged around the world as the Pope of monthly giving. 'Hidden Gold' is a readable, entertaining, informative guide to the most lucrative fundraising activity of all, after legacies (bequests). You can't afford not to have it on your bookshelf, with at least two more copies circulating among your fundraising colleagues.

Harvey McKinnon's brilliant book literally delivers what it says on the cover. If you don't already have a monthly giving proposition you're already behind, but this book will quickly get you back in front. If you do already recruit monthly donors this book can help you do it better. Harvey McKinnon is widely acknowledged as the Pope of monthly giving. 'Hidden Gold' is a readable, entertaining and informative tour of the most lucrative area of fundraising after legacies (bequests). You can't afford not to have it on your bookshelf.

THIS IS A FABULOUS RESOURCE THAT tells all. I came away convinced that monthly giving will be successful for almost any non-profit. Perhaps more importantly, if a non-profit doesn't embrace this form of giving they will be losing dollars and donors to competitors. There are many wonderful examples and probably hundreds of useful ideas. The writing style is easy to understand, often quite witty, a rarity in martketing and fundraising books, and there's a perfect balance between practical tips and creative options. One of the best fundraising books I own, and I own a lot of them. It will be considered a fundraising classic.

I have dozens of how-to books on my shelves, for fund raising and marketing communications. Maybe 6 of them are imperishably valuable: quick, sensible, well-written, and backed by lots of experience. Harvey's new book is among that chosen few. I didn't know what monthly giving programs were and I'd never heard of Harvey McKinnon before a Canadian fund raiser I met at a conference started praising Harvey to the stars. The fellow was right! This book is perfect: practical, illustrated with examples from organizations of all sizes, clearly written, wise. I don't even do monthly giving (although I have clients who might). I still loved reading this book. You won't be disappointed.

The only question you need ask yourself is: Could my nonprofit prosper if it had a monthly, assured flow of gifts? Author Harvey McKinnon -- one of the world's more successful fundraisers and a pioneer who has established successful monthly-giving programs in organizations large and small, national and local -- provides reader-friendly, step-by-step instructions to help you mine the hidden gold in monthly donations. Practical, comprehensive, with excellent examples. Everything a how-to book should be.

College leaders would do well to ensure that a copy of young Professor Trinkle's "The History Highway" is on the desktop of each faculty member, and then interview him or her a month later on what they discovered when navigating around the "new literacy". In pointed contrast, I remember too well a much older and "very retiring" professor at a highly ranked college recently insisting that "this Pen is My computer".
A journey through knowledge begins with but a single, small step --as ancient seers would remind us. "The History Highway" offers anyone (older or young) a "roadmap" to their own choice of any of 2000 or so stepping off points. For example, "images taken from the Bayeaux Tapestry [embroidery 230 feet long; the original story document presented to an illiterate population] make this a visually appealing and useful site (Norman Invasion of England, 1066)". But wait, there's more: "Periodic updates to the text are available online."
Our new digital lifestyle can (will?) transform Academia "before you can say Great Scott!" Or at least, for certain, a lot more quickly than the Gutenberg effect transformed schooling and culture.

As a history student I am constantly looking for sources and articles for research purposes. This book puts the most important internet history sites at my finger tip. When I teach my history classes in a few years I will require all of my students to purchase this book.

If you are at all interested in history, this book is indispensable. It offers an exhaustive guide to the reliable and worthwhile historical materials available on the Internet. The entries have been sifted by an international team of subject experts, and there is a resource mentioned for every lover or student of history.

Everyone who has ever stared in awe at a search engine result listing 1 million hits on some subject owes Drs. Trinkle and Merriman a debt of gratitude. This book will take you to the materials you really want to use or explore. It is not only worth the time and money you will invest--it will save you time and pay handsome dividends.

What else can one say--it is this history student's new best friend.

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, The History Highway 2000: A Guide To Internet Resources continues to provide the most extensive and reliable coverage available. Reflecting the swift growth of the Internet, featured are more than twice as many entries (2,500) and many new sections (Australian, New Zealand, Greek, Western History, Agricultural History, Rural Studies, Psychohistory, Historiography, Historical Population Databases, and Historical Book Dealers. The History Highway 2000 is further enhanced with a detailed cross-index offering instant access to every subject and every entry; an expanded glossary of multimedia and web-format terms; as well as periodic updates to the text which are available online. The History Highway 2000 is an invaluable, highly recommended resource for history students, teachers, researchers, librarians, authors, and the general public.

At 600 pages this behemoth is more than twice the length of the first edition. And every page of this guide to history related internet resources is worthwhile. The detailed Table of Contents lists a diverse range of site categories, such as General History, Early American History - 1783-1860, Jewish Holocaust Studies, Geneaology, and Archives and Manuscript collections.

The introductory chapter gives internet startup information, so the book is useful to newbies and experienced web users alike. Later chapters list specific websites along with a paragraph or so of information about the site written by a historian or specialist.

Of particular interest to family history researchers will be the genealogy section, which lists a variety of sites. Instructors and researchers of American History will find useful the 101 pages (expanded and updated from the 33 pages in the first edition) devoted to a chronological list of sites on specific segments of United States History. Also expanded in the new edition is the Women's History segment, which is now 17 pages long and contains a more diverse range of websites than the first edition.

Finally, entries are cross referenced in the index, with internet sites listed in italics. This work is both a useful and enjoyable reference title, and well worth its price.

Prescott's book is a must to read for everyone interested in the history of Mexico. The account of the conquest is very detailed,obviously product of an extensive research and yet extremely readable. Among the admirable qualities of Prescott as a historical narrator is his attempt at staying objective. He uses previous accounts of the events in question but always keeps in mind that history is written by the victors. He tries to side neither with the conquerors nor with the Aztec, givig credit to the latter for their valor and yet underlining the inevitability of their downfall.
Prescott's book is a great history, yet reads as easy as fiction. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in Mexico!

Prescott was one of the first historians to credit the Native Americans with the founding of the ancient American civilizations; rather than some lost white race or wandering tribe of Hebrews.

Maya explorer John Lloyd Stephens was another famous person from the 1840s who realized that ancient American civilization arose independently in the New World. When it is considered that almost everyone else was pointing to lost white races as the originators of these civilizations, the vision of these two men is remarkable.

Nevertheless, Prescott's "Conquest of Mexico" and "Conquest of Peru" (bound together in the "Modern Library Giant" edition) are stunning as historical narratives based on original sources. What an achievement by a man who was half blind!

I would rank these two volumes as the two most captivating books I ever read. The audacity and bravery (and cruelty) of the Spanish leaves your mouth agape.

Read these two histories and relive the wonder of the Conquests of Mexico and Peru. Ten stars!

Wow. I studied History and Literature at Harvard... and they never introduced me to this book! Shame on Harvard. Prescott is a true fusion of history and literature. Built on deep reading and comprehensive research of original sources and shot through with critical insights blended with fairness, Prescott's work is so different from much modern history (which is the manipulation of facts to satisfy politcal agendas).
Gosh, I know Prescott is disavowed/not read because of the discrimination against dead white males. But he's just flat-out better than the historian practitioners of today.

This book is one of the greatest works of world literature, but it can be a deeply disturbing read. By turns, the heart races in outrage and sinks in sorrow at the retelling of the events surrounding Cortes's conquest of the Aztec Empire from 1519 to 1521. There has seldom been an event in history with greater drama, greater conflict, greater peril, and greater moral consequence. Though the conquest is not a turning point in world history, its events can help us fathom many of the most pressing and profound moral and political issues we face down to this day. Prescott tells the story of the conquest superbly, with depth, precision, elegance, sympathy, drama, and emotional power. There are few prose stylists as fine as William Hickling Prescott in the history of English literature, and this is not known widely enough. Many a swollen six-volume history from centuries past has become the province of scholars; few are the classic histories that still can command the attention of lay readers. This is one of them. Many lay readers and scholars testify that this book has lost none of its savor or substance. Prescott emulated Gibbon, that marvel of magnificence in English prose, but thankfully Prescott's style isn't quite as magnificently glorious as the historian's who laid out the momentous decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Prescott's prose stands a bit lower on the register than Gibbon's heroic grandeur; yet Prescott achieves a depth of perception, elegance, and insight that is matched by few writers in all of English literature. As with Gibbon, Prescott's sentences and paragraphs stand as works of art; they not are to be hurried through for the story only, but pondered with an expectation of almost unbounded discovery. Also like Gibbon, Prescott was a master of the subtle, sly aside and the telling tangent.

At the center of Prescott's story is the enthralling conquistador Hernan Cortes, that extraordinarily daring captain of the expedition to conquer the Aztecs; in two years, Cortes led a preposterously small band of Spanish soldiers across the Empire and succeeded, highly improbably, in toppling it. Is this one of the key moments of history? For Central America, certainly, but for world history probably not. Nonetheless, it is one of the most riveting stories of early modern times, and you should know it well. Moreover, our evaluations of the actions and ideas of Cortes and his men can help us understand what it means to be good, to toil as servants of the good, and to create a good society. It is easy to get furious with Cortes's band as we read of them fulfilling their audacious mission of conquest. It is easier still to morally condemn them. It could be that they deserve condemnation. But perhaps the matter deserves a very close look, and Prescott can help us examine and judge their actions better than any historian ever. In my view, there are three crucial events that demand our account: (1) the massacre at Cholula, (2) the Noche Triste, an escape of the Spaniards from Tenochtitlan at mid-conquest, and (3) the brutal siege of Tenochtitlan in the final act. Through these and the other events of the conquest, Prescott can guide us in evaluating our principles of morality, government, war, liberty, and religion, as well as the meaning of life and society. This book is a classic now, having been written some 150 years ago. Many histories and studies of the conquest have been written up to the present, but none matches Prescott's in the power and depth of its insights into human nature and society, and none matches it in the beauty and power of its prose. Prescott has much to say about why people behave as they do, about the power of religion, the thirst for gold and glory, the temptations of ambition, the rationalization of crimes and sin, and much, much more. Surely by now you realize that I cannot recommend this great history highly enough. It remains in print in several editions, which is a testament to its enduring appeal both to scholars and readers, and it is most deserving of all the attention it still receives.

William H. Prescott was nearly blind for most of his life and never visited Mexico. Nevertheless, his work contains vivid, almost cinematic, descriptions of landscapes, cities and battles. It is dramatic and entertaining in the manner of great imaginative literature. Surely there has never been a story like that of Cortes and Montezuma and the destruction of the Aztec empire. Here is the collision of late medieval Europe with a civilization closely resembling that of the ancient Egyptians. This story of one race subjugating another should put the reader in mind of the recent conquest of Iraq. Nothing fundamental has changed in the past five hundred years, except that we have no Prescott to tell the tale.

Hope or Hype illustrates how a market based healthcare sans proper checks and balances can perversely incentivize the system (physicians, drug makers, device makers, surgical technique innovators, insurance companies, hospitals, and even the good old FDA), endangering the public's health and raising costs.

Insufficient research, dangerous marketing techniques to consumers and physicians alike, poor government oversight, and the lure of money make for dangerous, ineffective, and sometimes unecessary intervetions (prescription drugs, medical devices, techniques, and diagnostic testing). Of course all of this is basically driven by greed and complacency with consequences for quality of care and healthcare costs.

Valuable for demystifying (1) the FDA process for vetting new drugs and (2)drug marketing alone, this is a fine contribution to the national discussion on healthcare reform and an excellent advocacy resource for consumers. Only 4 stars because the writing is a bit loose and the first half of the book is too redundant and relies too heavily on anecdote. After reading this, some readers may want to read Food Politics - after all, prevention is worth its weight in gold!

Richard Deyo and Donald Patrick provide a thoroughly accessible, timely and well reasoned coverage of the advance of medical technologies. As a non-clinician, I found their approach to building on a multitude of real world examples mixed with references to both solid science and the lay press, to help define thorny issues while providing an avenue for further study to be very persuasive. I also enjoyed the personal perspective that both authors brought to the book. At multiple times, the authors relate how the current topic effected their own lives; for example Dr. Deyo describes his father's experience with calcium-channel drugs following experiencing a heart attack. I think this personal touch shows a respect for the reader and the authors' intent to provide important information without describing everything with an overly clinical outsider's approach. As a psychologist, I appreciate the rigor that is applied to the authors' discussion of topics. These authors are not just playing devil's advocate for modern technology; they are providing both the pros and cons for these new technologies. I believe this book is important for anyone in the health care industry, anyone who is concerned about his/her own health or the health of society and for anyone who simply enjoys good writing on a crucial topic.

What is wrong with American health care and how can we fix it? Many recent books try to address this question. One of the central points of "Hope or Hype" is that "...the major reason for rising health-care costs and shrinking insurance coverage is the rapid introduction of new medical treatments, often before they can be adequately evaluated for effectiveness, safety, or cost."
The authors, a medical doctor and a social scientist, have had years of experience studying health care in the larger societal context. "Hope or Hype" focuses on what happens when we allow the hype in the media and the marketplace to overtake the good that medical advances can bring us. It tells the story of overmedicalization, wasted resources and greed. If you are thinking - problem, what problem? Start by reading "Part III - Useless, Harmful or Marginal: Popular Treatments that Caused Unneccessary Disability, Dollar Costs, or Death." The stories are first-hand accounts of what happened to medical researchers when they got in the way of special interest groups and big drug companies. The back stories surrounding those drugs and devices you see advertised on television are very interesting.
Deyo and Patrick have written this book for the general public, as well as for students and health care researchers. They provide an historical overview of our love of "technoconsumption" and our infatuation with the latest medical breakthroughs.
The final chapters address how we all can do better. For example, they suggest that decisions about using new drugs and devices could be "evidence-based" and that consumers could be better informed to help prepare them to participate in shared decision making. Finally, they suggest that the government could create a "Fed" for health care, a regulatory agency mandated to oversee the integration of new technologies in medicine while minimizing waste and potential harm.

Why are Americans obsessed with medical miracles? In Hope Or Hype: The Obsession With Medical Advances And The High Cost Of False Promises, two doctors who are experts on ethical and policy issues in the medical world examine the false premises and promises the medical community makes to consumers, from pharmaceutical and equipment companies eager to promote new technologies and cures to physicians and hospitals too quick to prescribe costly medicines or surgeries. The hazards of such unnecessary treatments are provided within an overview of the drug and medical industries as a whole.

A thoughtful and thorough gathering of medical practice information as driven by the prescription drug industry. How to read the glowing advertising with careful scrutiny is just one benefit. The authors write clearly about complex subjects. While not racy reading, it should be read by any of us who have or will have medical needs.

I read the book 20 years ago and searched long and hard to find my own 1896 copy. I'm looking forward to having a copy I can read that I don't have to be so careful with. This book is very funny. The people in the book are folks you haven't thought of in years (and some you may have to look up to compleat your education). I recogmend this book be required reading for any body under 50 (I'm in my 40s).

I haven't read this version, only the original 1896 copy that I happened to pick up at a book sale because I liked the title. John Kendrick Bangs has become one of my favorite authors now. I recomend this book to everyone. It is witty and actually itelligent humor. I would say find the original though, it's usually cheaper than the $...for this copy.

Take a dash of fanatasy , a few dead (?) historical and literary figures, add a dash of whimsey, philosophy that is firmly tongue in cheek and mix with a fine sense of wit. The results are J.K. Bangs "A Houseboat on the Styx". It make take a bit to find this book (which should never be out of print!!) but it is well worth the search.

No book more wonderfully captures the wimsey and foibles of mankind, while providing a perspective on historical thought like this book. Delightfull conversations in which P.T. Barnum berates Noah for not saving the more interesting animals, in which Shakespeare and Bacon argue about which of them really wrote Hamlet (and Hamlet responds) are just some of the delightful by-play of this romp in a Gentleman's Club in Hades.

I ran across an 1896 copy of this book in a nearby used book store and snatched it up. A lover of Greek mythology, anything with Styx in the title had to be worthwhile. To my delight, Greek mythology was bombarded with some of the most delightful historical and literary characters ever known, thrown into delicious turmoil. Where else could Napoleon throw a pool cue at Shakespeare. A must have for any reader.

Having gone through a non related medical problem with a close family member I could really relate to this book and only wish I had known about it sooner. There were so many things that I wished I had Patricia Footes advice on. The check lists were really helpful and I actually made copies of them to share with my family members and take to doctors visits.

Get this book now! When faced suddenly with a bad lab result or those dreaded words, "The doctor would like you to come in for more tests," few of us have the wherewithal to be objective about what is happening. Fear and dread freeze our thought processes, leaving us at the mercy of experts. This woman has been there! Her book is like the hand of a friend, calming us, offering the reader practical advice and restoring our objectivity and humor. Don't wait until you--or someone you love--needs it. Keep one on the shelf.

Ms. Foote's book is an informative and inspirational read for anyone who has dealt with a medical crisis, misdiagnosis or management of a chronic illness. The author provides the reader with emotional support and practical advice on conquering the mystique of the medical community and emerging as more than a survivor. Purely positive!

Patricia Foote's odyssey from sickness to health is a journey remarkable for its observations and insights into what a person can do to take control of his/her medical care. With stunning recollection and detail, the author takes us from her diagnosis of a rare genetic cancer to her present day status as a cancer survivor of more than five years. She offers us practical advice and suggestions about how to talk with doctors, and how to let caregivers and other support people know what we need from them. She shows us how to move beyond that sense of disbelief that comes with a devastating medical diagnlosis to a healthy perspective on how to live the rest of one's life. This is a book you can share with friends and loved ones in the hope you'll never need it, but in the comfort of knowing it's there.

Patricia Foote's odyssey from sickness to health is a journey remarkable for its observations and insights into what a person can do to take control of his/her medical care.

With stunning recollection and detail, Ms. Foote takes us from her diagnosis of a rare genetic cancer to her present day status as a cancer survivor of more than five years. She offers us practical advice and suggestions about how to talk with doctors, and how to let caregivers and other support people know what we need from them. She shows us how to move beyond that sense of disbelief that comes with a devastating medical diagnosis to a healthy perspective on how to live the rest of one's life.

This is a book you can share with friends and loved ones in the hope you'll never need it, but in the comfort of knowing it's there.