Burns Books

This book is quite simply exquisite. The images are so vivid you feel like you could dive into them, and the text is scholarly and highly informative. This is the definitive book on St. Paul's, it is simply perfect. The history of this building is fascinating and the building itself is breathtaking, though amazingly Wren's original concept for the structure was even more spectacular. If you have any interest in St. Paul's, iconic architecture, or just love beautiful books, then I cannot concieve of any way you would be disappointed in this purchase. Expensive, yes, but well worth the price. Highly recommended.

This book is an excellent insider guide into both the university and the city of Saint Louis. The facts in this book are given by students, so it ultimately is the best guide into how SLU really is. I definitely recommend the book if you are considering SLU or even attending. I have learned so much about the university that I would otherwise would not have learned by reading this book. And it is by no means a boring read.... I found the university more desirable after reading it.

The St. Petersburg Addendum is a gripping original novel pitting a catcher of king crabs and an Alaskan state representative against the unmitigated greed of corporate interests seeking to strip Alaska's natural resources and despoil the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. When a mysterious Russian document surfaces, it escalates the struggle to an even higher level - innocent people are targeted and murdered in the frantic struggle to seize ownership of coveted oil. A sometimes chilling, always exciting saga of human dynamics and destructive power.

I read the 100 Black and White Questions and thought it was pretty compelling so I figured I'd give the book that sold fewer copies a try. I don't particularly like fiction, but this was one of the fastest books I've read. Pretty damn funny as well. Stages 1-4 should be patented because I have felt like I was at each stage at least once in my life. But as far as comedy goes I'd like to see this as a movie, some of the scenes where perfect. I've never been to San Diego, but as nice as it sounds, I guess it has its flaws. All around this was a pretty good book. I don't think anything could have been done differently or that it was phony but there were parts that could have been a lot deeper like the friend dating a woman who had been in an abusive relationship. But CDB did a good job not turning the book into a speech or preaching. As far as recommendations, I think all guys should get a copy of the book. I think women should read because it does give a lot of insight into how guys kind of work. Oh, the shower scene was classic, "I can't wait to tell." Classic as hell.

This review appeared previously in Christian Library Journal (January 1997).

Steering Them Straight is subtitled A Parental Plan for Guiding Today's Youth Through the Temptations of Premarital Sex, Eating Disorders, Pornography, Suicide, Satanism, and Substance Abuse. Many parents will find themselves out of their comfort zones while reading this book. It is thorough in its examination of these serious issues and the steps parents need to take to prevent their children from falling prey--or to rescue them.

Stephen Arterburn is a well-known counselor and the co-founder of Minirth Meier New Life Clinics. Jim Burns has been active in youth ministry for over twenty years. They illustrate chapters on such difficult topics as homosexuality, AIDS, runaways, and eating disorders with insights drawn from actual case studies. They address mysteries such as why one child experiments with drugs while another does not.

In reading Chapter 2: The Evolution of the Dysfunctional Family, some parents may recognize themselves and be tempted to stop reading. I would urge readers to continue, as painful as it may be. The message of this book is that parents save lives by committing themselves to spending time with their kids--actively expressing their love, having fun together, lavishing attention on them, and teaching their children right from wrong through example and frank discussion.

The book's strong point is its practical advice. Most chapters end with a section called You Can Make a Difference. Arterburn and Burns tell us how and why kids fall into destructive behaviors. They list warning signs, expose parental conduct that contributed to their children's problems, and give positive strategies that parents can use so that their kids won't be deceived into temptation.

For parents whose children have already succumbed, Steering Them Straight offers hope through parent intervention and professional counseling. The appendix gives resources such as organizations, books, and curricula dealing with the crises delineated in the book.

Andrea R. Huelsenbeck

I am a huge fan of fitness books and have begun looking for decent books on walking. Unfortunately, most of them are rather cheesy in my opinion. I really wanted a book that was not boring and would encourage me to continue (progress) my own walking program. This book is exactly what I was looking for!

Stephanie Oakes is a busy mother of two as well as a fitness and health expert. Like me, she has a hectic schedule, which often leaves little time for exercise. Oakes has designed a very sound and easy to follow exercise program that anyone can do, regardless of health or time constraints. This simple four month program has many different walking routines - spread out in such a way that you are not doing the same old same old, day after day. You can even customize the program based on your fitness level - beginning routines as well as intermediate and advanced are featured here.

Her ideas leave little room for excuses: there is a baby stroller workout (great for new moms who are often time crunched); Mall walks (my shopaholic daughter will like this one); treadmill walking (no more cold weather excuses); outdoor walks and more. My favorite so far is the "Now and Later" routine, where you divide your walking routine into three separate 'mini walks' of ten minutes each. The catch - you do it on a treadmill at 4mph and a 6 incline. My legs surely felt this and I burned a ton of calories.

The beauty of a walking routine is that it is convenient, cheap, and easy on the joints (I have hip and knee issues).
I've started this a few weeks ago and have already lost a few pounds! I only have about 5 more to lose and this will certainly assist me in my goals.

This is the best weight management book on the market.

The book gets right to the most important parts of losing and maintaining a healthy weight without wasting the reader's time. It also does not make the topic more complicated than it needs to be.

Key theme: Calories are still king and small substitutions in your diet will add up over time. Miracle cures and one dimensional programs (low carb, low fat, etc.) only work if calories are reduced.

The book has a lot more to say but it really respects the reader's time by presenting just the facts in a way that is straight forward and up to date. The authors present what proven science says about the topic instead of yet another cleverly designed theory created only to sell the next "Ahaa!!" miracle cure.

The book clears up a lot of confusion associated with the current diet debates (low fat or low carb).

What I liked best:
1. "to the point" format .... most books waste my time with too much verbiage and blah blah. You can read the whole thing in 1 hour.
2. hits all the essentials .... you really do have a solid grounding and plan to follow when you're done with the book.
3. up to date info that is based on research conclusions from major studies - not fads or wild extrapolation from one data point.

Since reading, I've lost about 10 pounds following the suggestions from the book and I've bought extra copies for interested friends and family.

I highly recommend it.

I have been a fan of the American Civil War for over five years, and I have read many books on the subject and especially on Stonewall Jackson. I have never found a book more thorough about both subjects in my life. The author dives into several contravercies like: Why did the Civil War started, Did Stonewall fall asleep at the Seven day Battle? He also doesn't just stick to Stonewall, he also talks about other important figures in the Civil War. So if you are interested, kinda like, or a fanatic about Civil War and Stonewall Jackson like I am, I would recammend this book to every one!

This antique book is a miniature size of about 2 inches by about 4 inches, plaid cover, with gilt edges and many black and white plates of Burns and his land. Several poems or parts of poems by Burns are also quoted in the book. It is amazing in detail and the author wrote in great detail about the birth, growing up, and interesting facts about Robert Burns. The only difficulty with the book is it is somewhat difficult to follow in places because of the old style of writing.

As Lawton Robert Burns explains so well in the Foreword, "This book provides the first systematic treatment of [the] `thorny issue' of managing the supplies that medical professionals such as physicians and nurses order and use in treating patients], covering both external and internal management of the hospital's supply chain. Appropriate, the book focuses on the managerial processes that need to be managed: sourcing, purchasing, distribution, value analysis, and standardization. The book not only provides a rich conceptual framework for managing these processes, but also supplements the authors' conceptual work with rich studies of hospitals and health systems that have implemented process improvements in these areas."

Eugene Schneller and Larry Smeltzer carefully organize their material within eight chapters which begin with "Framing the Repositioning Management of the Health Care Supply Chain" and conclude with "Building Supply Chain Leadership and Resources for the Future." I mention these "book-end" chapter titles because they correctly indicate that (a) Schneller and Smeltzer see all manner of significant insufficiencies in the strategic management of most health care supply chains but that (b) what they recommend in this volume should not be viewed as a "silver bullet"; on the contrary, any supply chain must be constantly and rigorously evaluated and, when necessary, re-framed and perhaps even re-positioned. Although supply chains such as those in health care inevitably have a "weak link" (if not several), that will not necessarily result in a total breakdown system wide. However, if links are viewed as business relationships, it is highly desirable to have strong ones...especially during difficult times as when sudden and substantial cost increases occur.

In this context, I am reminded of a valuable insight that Patrick Lencioni provides in one of his business narratives, Silos, Politics and Turf Wars. Here's the situation. The main character, Jude Cousins, is a talented, energetic, and ambitious young marketing executive who, with his wife Teresa's support and encouragement, decides to leave his secure job after the company is purchased by a competitor. He establishes an independent consulting practice and almost immediately obtains three clients: The Madison Hotel (San Francisco's oldest, largest, and most prestigious independent hotel), JMJ Fitness Machines (a manufacturer of high-end consumer and institutional exercise equipment), and Children's Hospital of Sacramento. Over time, Cousins struggles without much success to help his clients to improve communication, cooperation, and (especially) collaboration between and among their senior-level executives. Because this is a business narrative, complete with a plot and cast of characters, its storyline builds to a climax that, in this instance, is the valuable insight to which I referred earlier. Cousins has an epiphany: He realizes that the ER at Children's Hospital offers an almost ideal model for efficient, effective, and productive teamwork. Everyone involved must concentrate entirely on the given medical crisis that may have life-or-death implications. There is no time for "silos, politics and turf wars."

It will be interesting to observe the extent to which supply chains in health care change in months and years to come. What will the next paradigm consist of? Schneller and Smeltzer make no predictions, although they correctly suggest that communication, cooperation, and (especially) collaboration will become progressively more important if both the quality and costs of health care are to be managed properly.

Those who share my high regard for this volume are urged to check out two books which Burns and his Wharton colleagues have written: The Business of Healthcare Innovation and The Health Care Value Chain: Producers, Purchasers, and Providers. Also Michael E. Porter and Elizabeth Olmsted Teisberg's Redefining Health Care: Creating Value-Based Competition on Results, Regina E. Herzlinger's Consumer-Driven Health Care: Implications for Providers, Payers, and Policy-Makers, Shoshanah Cohen and Joseph Roussel`s Strategic Supply Chain Management: The 5 Disciplines for Top Performance, and Supply Chain Excellence: A Handbook for Dramatic Improvement Using the SCOR [Supply Chain Operations Reference] Model co-authored by Peter Bolstorff and Robert Rosenbaum.