Communications Books

This story is amazing. Strange in some ways, yet incredibly insightful in others. Have you ever met someone who was very guarded and stand-offish, almost skittish? The main character, Dara, is this type of person. As you delve into her life you begin to understand the complexity of her issues and her need for a savior. Dara is so lost. Then she meets Jane, the wacky earth-mother who is not as crazy as she seems at first. I loved experiencing Dara's quest for her biological mother. Her deep pain and misplaced guilt shows how truly devastating abandonment can be to a child, especially if the person who left is the mom. Dara learned a lot about herself and grew through the course of the story. She set aside her own needs to help others, yet still had this wall around her heart. But a nagging voice in the wind would call to her, especially when her pain seemed the most out of control. That still small voice is one we all need to tune into. It just might turn our lives around if we do.

This is one of my very favorite books of 2007! It's lyrical yet intense, moving yet realistic. A must read for everyone.

Am reading this book now and I have to say It is wonderful. Not sure but I think it parallels with Dance in the Desert by Madeleine l'Engle. I can't wait to finish it to see if it does, and i get shivers realizing who is calling out to her spirit. It's magical...i wonder how it will end!

Kathleen Popa's debut novel blends a heart-twistingly beautiful tale of human frailties and ugliness with the love of God working through broken characters.

From the rigid Bible professor who has God all figured out and bullet-pointed directions for anyone else who might need help, to the inner whisper that tells Dara that she is sought by God -- this story is full of forgiveness and renewal.

Love blows through the narrative like a wind across a desert, lifting, shifting and rearranging thoughts and raising questions.

Grace abounds and amazing reconciliations and understandings bloom into joy.

The characters reached in and grabbed my heart, leaving shadows of subtle influence behind.

After an initial struggle to ease into Kathleen's rhythm and voice, I caught the nuances and rode it to the solid conclusion.

A sensitivity alert -- this novel contains grittiness that may be too intense for those looking for a simple escapist read.

To Dance in the Desert by Kathleen Popa is the beautiful story of Dara Brogan Murphy as she struggles to recover from the horror of losing her husband and father in one horrible day. She retreats to the desert to hole up and hide from the world. Instead she meets Jane who introduces Dara to a world she never knew. I am completely amazed at the depth and scope of Popa's writing. Her descriptions of the desert let me breathless. The story starts out in short disconnected sentences as Dara hides within herself. As she opens up to Jane, the writing becomes more fluid until by the end when Dara has rediscovered herself, the words fairly flow across the page. The way the words are kept tight at the beginning and then loosen kept me reading and helped give new insight into Dara. So many different themes are touched on in this story: works vs faith, judgment against other forms of worship, abuse, and each one is handled with delicacy and grace. Even the harshest critics of Dara and Jane are viewed through God's loving eyes. I had to struggle to put this book down, because I didn't want to leave the characters or the lovely stark desert setting behind. It's a story with many truths to tell.

Danna Beal explores issues close to anyone's heart who is of working age and is working! Ms. Beal, who spends much of her time traveling the country talking to professional groups as well as doing work with companies, asserts that each of us have an essence of who we are, hidden underneath the protective layer of our ego. This essence is fundamentally protected by the ego, but that which protects it actually suppresses it. We are then, ego driven, forced to play our role at work. This role requires that we are the star of the show and feel powerful by doing things like gossiping or not taking responsibility for our actions.
What's the answer? Find your role, as ego, mine is Rocky! (Always almost producing the result, looking good in the process, with a big heart, getting screwed by the man! Should have won, really!) Once you recognize your role and the part your ego plays in the production of work you can move beyond it and allow you natural talent and joy take over.
Tired of that feeling on Sunday of dread about going back to work? READ THIS BOOK.

In a world starved for heart-centered, spirit-reviving insights, Danna Beal takes center stage with her book that spotlights leadership problems and offers practical, workable solutions. Her corporate background helped to flesh out the "actors", so identifiable on our own stages of life. As a Licensed Massage Therapist for over 12 years, I see and touch the "fallout" from the workplace daily and, am delighted to point my clients in the direction of this compelling book.

I had the opportunity of reading The Tragedy In The Workplace, by Danna Beal during the Thanksgiving Holiday period. Reading it gave me another reason to be grateful. I found it to be full of truths which can be discovered in various venues by thoughtful people who are willing and able to listen to their inner voice. Although "Tragedy" is billed as a business book, I found it to be of a profoundly spiritual nature, which would help anyone with relationships of all kinds, e.i., business, family, and personal. In particular, I enjoyed the uplifting nature of the book, wherein the author took the high ground when it came to discussing sensitive issues, and no vulgarity or unseemly discussions were utilized, but at the same time anyone should have been able to relate the principles taught to their own situations, of whatever nature. In other words, Danna communicated well without resorting to the lowest common denominator, as is prevalent in much of today's writings. I was specifically impressed with the teachings of principles regarding: Synergism to achieve worthwhile goals, Focus on our spiritual cores which have unlimited potential, Accepting personal responsibility for results, How to break out of self-imposed prisons, Recognizing the spiritual nature of our fellow beings, An excellent treatment of the power of forgiveness - both for yourself and others, and The problems associated with judging. Reading Danna's book, reminded me of a phrase I have been using for years: "There are no rewards and no punishments, only consequences." Like this thoughtful book, it is apparent that its author, Danna Beal is a winner.

Sincerely, Laurence H. Keim

and you can clearly get her message that runs through- out the book.What I found most helpful was she defines the ambiguous game playing and ego roles that go on in a work enviroment. You can by reading this book get a birds eye view of this -process- and build your confidence knowing these people are trapped in roles they may not even be aware of but with this book you have insight and awareness to rise above it and see your own ego at work-this book is freedom.Rather than feel slighted next time by a co-worker keep in mind this person is trying to live up to some primetime expectation-and its your job to help them live it because corporate culture is full of these hopeless gyrating pychopaths-my opinion-but on a kinder note once -u-instill this authors advise into yourself your human essence of compassion will transfer nonvebally-real confidence-to your co-worker and they will begin to relate to you from the same level.Although big ego's can be intertaining they often follow unconcious and unreal ambitions blindly-only to end up as lonely lost souls on death beds chasing desperate gods and expiring in teriffied last gasps.My advise is find a talent and to discover that you need to know who you are and that takes looking at yourself from a dynamic perspective because what you are looking for you will never see but only glimpse.Once your remove your status expectations about your primetimed self your talent will surface and lead you to prosperity. Good luck my friend.

To write her ground breaking book, Tragedy In The Workplace: The Longest Running Show In The Country, Danna Beal draws upon her more than twenty years as a professional business consultant and trainer working in all kinds of industries to create a new model for understanding how the modern workforce is besieged with envy, fear, battling egos, power competitions, office politics, cliques and power struggles, personal agendas, dishonesty, managers disempowering employees, co-workers sabotaging one another, as well as the general and pervasive atmosphere of insecurity in today's workplace. Using theatrical metaphors, Beal shows readers how they can cast others in roles to play out their own workplace dramas and by doing so, come to grips with workplace problems, issues, and personalities in order to minimize anxiety, resolve disputes, increase job satisfaction levels, and enhance productivity and the corporate bottom line. Tragedy In The Workplace is very highly and invaluable reading especially recommended to business owners, managers, personnel directors, and anyone caught up in the age old games of office politics.

What a beautiful book! Carmen Leal has created a book that not only looks great on your coffee table but warmly invites you to take the time to look inside. The sheep pictures throughout the book remind us how important our relationship with the Shepherd is. As Carmen shares stories of individuals who have experienced the message of the twenty-third Psalm in their own times of grief, Carmen illustrates how reliance on God during the painful times of life can bring comfort to those who grieve.
This book is a must for your coffee table. Have an extra copy on hand so you will have one to share with friends during their time of grief. This book will make a difference in many lives!

Often, grief looms as a complicated process requiring individuals to move at their own personal pace. For some, the journey is long and arduous; for others, a brief moment in time. No matter how you handle grief, a book like The Twenty-Third Psalm for Those Who Grieve is a great resource. The beautiful book cover alone is enough to begin to soothe your soul, even before reading the tender stories inside. Carmen Leal's words speak to the heart and caress with a gentle hug. This inspirational book makes a wonderful gift for those in need of comfort.

Carmen Leal's second book in The Twenty-Third Psalm series is one of those books that speaks directly to the heart. Told through the honest lens of true-life experiences, it carries a message of hope: "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.--Deuteronomy 33:27"

When my mom died unexpectedly last summer, it felt like my world suddenly stood still. Although people offered comfort the best they knew how, a book like this would have been wonderful to curl up with in those quiet middle-of-the-night hours when I couldn't sleep.

I love it because it's not your typical "grief book". It doesn't dish out advice, or discuss the various steps of grief. It simply offers candid accounts of people just like you and me who lost someone precious in their life, yet with the Shepherd's help, found the strength to continue on.

It makes good sense to keep several copies of The Twenty-Third Psalm for Those Who Grieve on hand as a ministry tool. That's what I intend to do.

Carmen Leal's newest Twenty-third Psalm book is the perfect gift for those who are hurting. It is a sensitive reminder that in Christ we have a Shepherd who cares about us, who provides for all our needs, who gives us hope and peace and courage to face the difficult times in our lives. I recommend it highly.

Carmen Leal has given us a tender look at our Shepherd through THE TWENTY-THIRD PSALM FOR THOSE WHO GRIEVE. When we get to know the Shepherd and all He wants to provide, we find comfort in such amazing new ways. Carmen reminds us how our Shepherd meets our deepest needs when we're trudging through painful valleys. I was so blessed to find hope and healing tucked between the pages of breath-taking artwork. What a beautiful reminder of the Shepherd's powerful presence in every difficult journey.

Yukinobu Hoshino's 2001 Nights is not your average manga.

With precise and detailed drawings, and a tangible indebtedness to Arthur C. Clarke, Hoshino tells in a series of short stories the future of mankind's journey into space. Beginning with a classic Cold War sf story, continuing on with the discovery of life--of sorts--on the moon, and furthering outward to the utmost boundaries of the solar system, Hoshino tells his stories with steadily increasing imagination, pulling the reader gradually from more mundane hard sf to weirdly handled (but very Clarkeian) cosmic and religious issues in the volume's final, lengthy chapter, "Lucifer Rising," which smacks of Clarke's "The Star" as well as Gene Wolfe's "All the Hues of Hell."

Not only are these excellent comics, they are some of the best sf short stories you're likely to read, though Hoshino sometimes plays fast and loose with science if it helps the plot.

Okay, ditto all the other glowing reviews; I normally don't post my opinions unless it's different from others', but this is one of the few times when a product has got me so enthused that I simply must join in the praise. IT'S GREAT!...I got chills all over just like I first did as a kid when it dawned on me how vast the universe could be, and how alone humankind seems in it...I must say, this is quite an effective "twist" on one's usual expectations of Science Fiction, a twist which actually in effect restores the sense of melancholia which a deep, prolonged contemplation of outer space usually seems to instill sooner or later...

[have edited original today 2008 MAR b/c I finally really do realize that even with a spoiler alert people are just going to read on anyway, of course, and get the surprising though very simple ending, which I was commenting about, and that would just totally destroy the beautiful cumulative effect of reading all three volumes to get there, to that beautiful, majestic, haunting, and chilling vision....]

Has Yukinobu Hoshino done any other stuff, I wonder??? Now that I'm "onto him", I'm gonna go look for his other works....

This is an amazing trilogy (read my other 2 reviews of vols. 2 & 3). The below reviews are so accurate to what I want to say, that I won't repeat them. I love this series. It's some of the best sci-fi comics I've ever read. There's an overwhelming sense of vastness to the universe and a sad feeling for mankind in the stories - no matter how far they get in space, it's still not enough - there's no end to the immenseness!
The stories are wonderfully believable and the Japanese artwork is not the `big eyed', Hello Kitty stuff one comes to expect of manga.
Whoever decided to translate this series for America should be given an award for recognition of intelligent comic work. It's that good. I've read the 3 books several times and they're wonderful with each read.
Each volume ends with an epic tale. Volume 1 has "Lucifer" which is a great concept of an anti-matter universe which may be responsible for the Big Bang theory. Great stuff. Get these books - they're wonderful. This is the way comics should be done!

I bought this book in the spring while I was in college studying comics. When you read so many comics, even the good ones seem to go pale. This graphic novel made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. With mature visuals and sensitive writing Yukinobu Hoshino sows accurately the vastness of the universe and the importance of human destiny within it and beyond it. The occasional over-explaining takes away very little in this epic. A great read by anyone's standards; comics fan or not.

2001: A Space Odyssey is one of my favorite movies for its detailed and believable vision of a future that is still largely unrealized. I was pleasantly surprised to see Yukinobu Hoshino pay homage to Kubrick's visual style throughout much of 2001 Nights, in scenes that were recognizably inspired by the film. The skillfully-rendered black-and-white panels throughout the book are evocative of the silence and vastness of space, yet the human characters are drawn with grace and style, without the occasional cartoonish facial expressions that mar other manga I've read. This stylistic discipline helps to keep the work focused and believable.

Aside from the fantastic artwork, the author lays out a sweeping story of humankind's quest to find its destiny beyond Earth, told in a series of time-separated vignettes. He touches upon issues of cooperation, isolation, exploration, greed and even religion -- and manages to pull this off without becoming trite.

It's pretty tough to describe in words something that is so visually distinctive and compelling. I originally ordered this book on a whim, but it has just blown me away.

Great book, full of useful practical examples. I would recommend to all in the business.

Mark Weiner's book is a "must read" for PR, marketing and any communications professional working today. It's chock full of great examples as well as great advice. Mark's research background gives him a unique vantage point -- one we can all learn from. And, his experiences represent real life, not an academic approach. I highly recommend it and keep it on my desk as a resource.

Although hardly the "contrarian" of his book's title, Mark Weiner correctly identifies two problems common to public relations practitioners: They fail to set objectives, and then they fail to measure what they have accomplished. Weiner explains an uncomplicated way to correct these tendencies. He tells PR managers and their clients why taking a scientific approach can improve the professionalism of PR campaigns and gain respect for them in the marketing world. He uses examples from his own experience to buttress his arguments about the benefits of PR. Occasionally, the book is repetitive, but it is eminently practical. We recommend it to corporate communicators, PR consultants and their clients.

One of the best books on evaluating the impact of public relations, Unleashing the Power of PR, has been invaluable to me. As a graduate student, I've used it as a resource for a project, and I'll be using it as the foundational resource for my thesis.

Unlike most books about research, which are dry and verbose, Weiner presents his argument and examples for good research in clear, concise prose. There's no bones about it, this is a must read for serious students of PR and professionals alike.

Penned by the founder and president of Delahaye, you may expect Unleashing The Power Of PR to be a thinly veiled sales pitch for his company's research services (like many of the books in the business section today). You'll be pleasantly surprised, however, to find that this is not the case. Instead, you'll discover that Weiner's first book is actually a well researched, compellingly argued case for strengthening the role of public relations in your company's business strategy. In fact, to some extent, Mr. Weiner gives away the core secrets of the media measurement program it took years for his company to perfect.

For those, like me, who learn best by example, Weiner does not disappoint. Pulling from several Delahaye case studies and other sources, Weiner clearly illustrates his main points with relevant, contemporary examples. And, on several occasions, I actually found myself tapping into the dark depths of my fantasy reserves (the energy stores I usually save for Coastal Living feature properties or Mercedes-Benz catalogues), to conjure a vision - one where I transform my small company's marketing efforts into a well-oiled PR machine of my very own, increasing sales by 150%, and positioning POPLOGIX as the preeminent, affordable marketing consulting firm in the US by 2008.

Fantasies aside, this is a recommended read for the contemporary marketing professional but, more importantly, it is a must read for those in the C-Suite and those responsible for their companies PR investment. The return on your PR investment is not only tangible, but also measurable, and can directly impact your business objectives.

There's a lot to like about this work. First, it is particularly well organized. I really like the use of summary questions at the end of each chapter -- one more example of Weiner's easy reading style. And, if you pay attention, you'll find that Weiner is overly generous with thoughtful advice. Just as the title promises, this is a practical guide for creating a world class PR program for your company. Whether you are a start-up or a Fortune 50, Unleashing The Power Of PR may become your "how-to manual" for using PR to help achieve your objectives.

Arthur Hunt's "The Vanishing Word" is a helpful and insightful salvo in the battle to preserve the written word in an age enamored with images. Hunt is currently a professor of speech and communications at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Although he teaches speech and communications, his real expertise is in the fledgling discipline of Media Ecology. Media Ecology was a field pioneered by men like Neil Postman and Marshall McLuhan. "The Vanishing Word" is essentially a work of Media Ecology and in it Hunt examines our cultural environment and finds it polluted with pagan image idolatry.
Hunt's work is particularly helpful because it begins with an historical analysis of the rise of the written word. Hunt condenses the important events of Western history into readable and accessible chapters. He presents this historical information in a lively fashion by including helpful illustrations and examples. Hunt's Christian presuppositions are certainly not hidden in this book. His history of the word begins with God and Moses and not with Aristotle or Gutenburg.
Following the linear unfolding of history, Hunt notes that a major shift occurred in our culture with the rise of electronic mass media. He contends that this "new" development is bringing our culture back to "old" ideas, particularly pagan idolatry. He writes:
"The old system just keeps coming back. Not that long after the Flood's waters had receded, Nimrod stretched forth his hands to receive the astrological charts from atop Babel's tower. The sands of Egypt were still between the toes of Moses when he proceeded down the mountain of thunderings and lightnings, tablets in hand, only to find the Hebrews dancing around a golden calf. The people of God multiplied under the Roman knife, but then the pantheon strangely reappeared over the church altar. The fire of the Reformation pushed the gods back until the icon-making machines of the twentieth century ushered them back again in living color (155-156)."
Hunt's book also provides a helpful analysis of the shift from modernism to post-modernism. He also makes some penetrating comments about the impact of the image culture on the church, particularly in the area of worship.
I highly recommend this book to pastors, Christian educators and anyone interested in understanding and stemming the tide of the image culture.

In our technologically advanced age the value of the written word is being lost. The Author shows by giving a historical account how this is leading our society into Idolatry and Paganism. The devaluation of the written word is leaving people defenseless against counterfeits and leaves them open for whatever trend comes along. This book takes a close examination of our media saturated culture.

As a fan of Gene Veith, Neil Postman and Allan Bloom, I noted this book as inspired by the dialogue between Postman and Camille Paglia. It is an excellent book and well worth the read but following the natural urge to find something to disagree with while we walk the same road in the same direction, I would like to engage a few issues that I find especially intriguing even though they are small potatoes in the whole stew.
When AWH critiques or contrasts the Egyptians with the Hebrews by referring to the Egyptians as image based and the Hebrews based, we certainly should agree, but the images of the Egyptians were their alphabet at least at some point. Hieroglyphs apparently came to represent sounds (didn't they?). The feather in a sense becomes a letter? The shift to a phonetic aleph bet was certainly significant but they are still images - images of the letters. Perhaps images of the shape of the mouth (at least symbolically) while making the sounds - think of Greek Theta or just the letter "o". So the contrast between the Egyptians and the Hebrews is certainly there but how sharp a contrast should we think it is? I wonder.... In any case, AWH even remarks that the "Egyptians thought Toth invented writing" (p. 37) so this is certainly a matter of degree. We might also wonder why "advanced civilizations cannot exist without writing" (as AWH quotes Gelb) if this might be because they need a recording system. Would video do? (I imagine reading a book presented as a DVD, for example.) Is video text as the postmodernists might say? In which case, the vanishing word is not vanished at all but more powerful than ever in digital form.

An interesting contrast to this book is Steven Johnson's "Everything Bad is Good for You."

The author sees the current cultural tendency to exalt visual imagery at the expense of language as a direct assault on Christianity. He warns Christians that the church is being cut off from its word-based heritage, to its great detriment. Superb socio-cultural analysis by a keen-minded Christian scholar, along with a much-needed affirmation that "the Word is everything." Although Professor Hunt builds upon the previous studies of Marshall McLuhan, Neil Postman, Camille Paglia, and others, his radically different spiritual perspective as a conservative evangelical makes this a highly original work with many entirely fresh insights. Required reading for all thoughtful Christians who would equip themselves better for the "spirit wars" of our time and halt the church's slippage into a mindless paganism.

This book was a fasinating history and exposition of how the image has led to the decline of civilization. Today's almost total reliance on visual communication may be a dark age greater that the olden dark ages. If you don't believe this last statement, you have not read this book or are blinded by images. This book should convince you to read more and cherish black and white print over the alluring visual medium. The trinity of violence, sex and celebrity accompanys the image. The dangers of technology and media in historical perspective awaits you in this book. Neil Postman would second the motions in this book. I'd like to see a college class on the topic.

Spectral theory forms a natural environment for the study of wavelets. The use operator algebras is unique and interesting. The text is written such that the analysis is precise and clear throughout. The book reads nicely without being chatty or overly terse and tiresome. Many of tge proofs are extremely well laid out. The problems are carefully chosen (ranging from challenging to knock your socks off bruisers!) so get your erasers out. Mathematicians, computer scientists, theoretical physicists working in quantum computing will likely find this book useful. Recommended to anyone working with wavelets.
A little bit of functional analysis will come in handy for those of wanting to do a self study.

This is an important mathematical reference written in excellent style. Wavelets have found applications in many areas of engineering and CS. The authors provide a detailed, rich and entertaining tour through this relatively young but important field for both math and CS/Eng. Connections are, e.g., made between advanced CS virtual-reality applications such as audio-systems processing, future applications such as quantum computing, and advanced math in functional analysis and operator theory.

This is a very well written book on the theory of wavelets and its applications. The presentation is self-contained and may serve as an introduction for someone who wants to learn about this topic. It also is an excellent book for those who have an advanced graduate degree in applied mathematics since it demonstrates how to truly understand complex concepts. This book gives a general presentation of some recent developments in wavelet theory with an emphasis on techniques that have a geometric and spectral-theoretic flavor. It can be certainly used as a textbook for graduate students as well as as a reference book for the specialists and researchers. A very nice feature of the book are the tutorials at the beginning of each chapter and some sections, which serve as summaries of main ideas and guides through the background ideas and motivation. At the end of every chapter there are plenty of excercises of various level of difficulty. Overall, this is a great book and I recommend it highly to a motivated reader.

The Book by Bratteli and Jorgensen is a superb book on wavelet's theory. It is very well written and has new and a fresh point of view on the subject. Although there are several good books on wavelets, the book by Bratteli and Jorgensen covers an important niche that has not been covered before. In particular

1- The book covers the theory of wavelets from the point of view of operators and functional analysis and will appeal to a growing number of pure as well as applied mathematicians interested in the subject.

2- The writing of the book is very appealing: every chapter starts by a tutorial that gives motivation as well as intuition. It is then followed by a very clean mathematical development of the subject, together with many examples, figures, and applications from physics and engineering. A set of nice problems is provided at the end of each chapter. Thus this book can be used as a graduate textbook or for mathematical seminars in mathematics departments.

3- This book can even be used by experts in wavelet theory for learning about recent developments and new perspectives from operator theory and functional analysis.

I highly recommend this book.

This is a book about an important topic in applied mathematics by two authors with excellent credentials in both pure and applied areas. The reader will find many intriguing threads connecting wavelets to other parts of mathematics, including a wavelet index theorem, quantum computing, the ubiquitous C*-algebras O_n and, of course, spectral theory. The graphics are meticulously done.

I look forward to learning a lot from it.

Protocol and practice.... unlike 21 days in HTML, the authors teach me something big...

This is a fabulous book, technically competent, well-written, easy to read and well-organized. It comprehensively covers all the tech-weenie needs to know about clients, proxies, servers, HTTP, and a bunch more without drowning you in math or killing you softly with a gazillion irrelevant details. I found the last chapter, the "Research Perspectives," to be particularly up-to-date and useful. There is a ton of information about HTTP floating around out there. Figuratively speaking, Rexford and Krishnamurthy have taken as their input the coal and produced as their output this diamond.

You've built a B2C or B2B web service. You get great response time from your office, but there are times when your customers across the country report poor performance.

This book with help you understand the entire path between browser and web server and how Internet latency and intermediaries like Proxy servers add to transaction delay. This is the only source that I've seen that a) Defines HTTP 1.1 and b) describes the relationship between HTTP and the TCP/IP protocol stack, making recommendations on how to tune the stack to reduce the effect of latency.

You'll learn that many of TCP's flow control mechanisms were designed for FTP, Telnet and Rlogin and some default settings are not optimized, or even appropriate for HTTP.

This is so totally readable and comprehensive in its scope, that it was an absolute delight. This one is a keeper and a re-read if you need to understand what the word "web" or "data" means.

...but it is very thorough.

Clearly, I can't tell you what I learned from this book. I will ask my girlfriend to write in though... Anyway, C. W. Gentry's books are easily read, embarrassment-free and down to earth. They deal with topics most people feel uncomfortable talking about in a way that makes them seem perfectly routine. What men need to understand about women is that they all want sex too, they just go about it differently! This book should help to reduce the differences between myth and reality, and is based on real interviews with real men.

Obviously, the authors can't tell you what YOUR man wants in bed. But this book is an excellent insight into what men in general want from sex and say about sex. The surveys ask about everything, and the graphs and charts are a quick and easy way to see what the MAJORITY of men prefer. I found it really helpful and interesting.

We passed this book around at a party and had a great time reading the results of the many surveys and the insights revealed in the interviews. Very interesting information turned up in this book!

...having perused a friend's copy of it last night. I've also read Red Hot Tantra by the same author and would highly recommend her short stories to anyone who enjoys good erotica.

Though most of what is in this book is pretty obvious stuff, some of it was insightful but mostly it was just a fun book to read. Definitely worth buying!

Book arrived in excellent condition and quickly. The book is very informative and in a nice conversational, easy to grasp format.

This book is a complete winner! All the the other intercultural books I`ve read have been BORING. This is a book for everybody working internationally...and it`s wise and amusing

Written by the owner of an international training and consulting company, When In Rome Or Rio Or Riyadh: Cultural Q & As For Successful Business Behavior Around The World is a comprehensive guide especially for international businesspeople, covering common cultural misunderstandings and gaffes that can plague one in nations ranging from Australia to Venezuela. From general information on how to make small talk safely and avoid common communication problems, to body language recommendations and warnings against inappropriate gestures in different nations (for example, a raised thumb is considered offensive in Australia and the Middle East), to countless case studies of problems and communication issues brought about by different cultural norms and expectations, When In Rome Or Rio Or Riyadh is not only a "must-have" resource for globetrotters but also an engrossing to lay readers curious about the sharp differences in how folks from different nations relate. Extremely accessible and down-to-earth, When In Rome Or Rio Or Riyadh explores the fascinating variety of cultural differences from an emphatically practical perspective.

I just started working in a large multi-national and have found this book invaluable in its advice about how to deal with people from other cultures. I particularly liked the Q&A format of much of the book when people wrote to Gwyneth Olofsson with questions about how to deal with tricky cross-cultural situations - the sort that can lead to "culture clash" if you're not careful. A big plus is that it's funny too!

There were places in this book where I laughed out loud, usually at the real-life examples of "culture clashes." The letters also made me think about how my own behavior at work could be misunderstood by foreigners. I learned a lot!