Associations Books

As good as 'Tin Drum' but far more accessible and direct in its impact on the darkness and light in the German psyche. The only author from Germany to honestly address the issues of what led to WWII and its aftermath. There is a hilarious and brilliant passage towards the end of the second part of the book which takes a savage poke at Heidegger and German love for abstraction. A gem of a book.

I am not going to attempt to describe Dog Years other than to say it is a stunning work by a brilliant writer at the top of his game. It should be required reading for anyone seeking to understand the German psyche in the 20th century. Some may find the style challenging, but there's a method to Grass's madness, and if you give it time, Dog Years will reward you like no other book you've ever read. Personally, I was hooked right away, but even allowing for taste, Grass will win you over sooner or later. The Tin Drum is a masterpiece, but Dog Years is even better.

First: If you decide to tackle the Danzig Trilogy, Reddick's critical analysis is indispensable. I suggest tackling it the same way I did: read The Tin Drum, start Reddick's book at the same time you start Cat and Mouse (Reddick reads faster than Grass, and you'll get through a lot of Reddick while tackling Grass), and when you've caught up, read Reddick's section on Dog Years and the actual novel concurrently.

Those of you who feel the revelation of anything having to do with a book before you get to that part in the book is a spoiler should probably avoid this technique; Reddick revelas the major "mystery" in Dog Years towards the end of his section on Cat and Mouse. However, one cannot really consider Dog Years a mystery, despite the various things that happen within it; while there are some elements to it that keep the reader guessing, Dog Years is, more than anything, a savage satire on Germany during the WW2 years. And as such, finding out the main mystery-that's-not-a-mystery should not detract at all from one's appreciation of the book itself.

Dog Years can also stand on its own, without being read as a part of the Danzig Trilogy, but the reader's appreciation of many facets of this novel-- most notably Edouard Amsel's character and the satire itself-- are more easily appreciated when you have The Tin Drum and Cat and Mouse under your belt as comparisons. Amsel, the main protagonist of Dog Years, stands as a direct comparison to both Oskar and Mahlke, and his character is more easily understood when those two have already been assimilated by the reader.

The plot of Dog Years is a simple enough one; it charts, through the use of three narrators, the frindship of Edouard Amsel and Walter Matern from grade school through their early thirties. Amsel, the intellectual one, is picked on constantly by his classmates (including Matern) until one day, for no apparent reason, Matern befriends Amsel and chases away the others. It's a typical buddy-relationship in that Amsel is the brains and Matern is the brawn, but we don't get the bonding we've come to expect from seeing too many Hollywood buddy films. The relationship between Matern and Amsel is far more complex than that, and Reddick has done a passable job of interpreting it, one which I won't attempt to recreate here (it would be ludicrous to attempt something that complex in such a forum as a review). In an odd lapse, though-- especially given how much emphasis Reddick has put on Grass' enmity and stire of the Roman Catholic Church in the previous two books-- Reddick seems to have overlooked one of the most obvious interpretations of Amsel's character (and also that of the more minor protagonist Jenny Brunies), as a christ figure. In the novel's central scene, both Amsel and Brunies (who are both made out, in the first half of the novel, to be almost comically fat) undergo a transformation that transforms Brunies into a ballet sensation and Amsel into another character entirely, the omnipotent Goldmouth; while there is no physical crucifixion here, the path taken by Amsel's character through the rest of the novel certainly implies the path of christ after the resurrection, until his assumption into, in this case, Berlin. For the next hundred or so pages, Goldmouth is never actually seen, only referred to in the good deeds he does for others, and he achieves an almost legendary status among the rank and file for his goodness, his power (in postwar germany, his power is in his connections; who he knows), and the fact that no one really sees him much, but everyone is aware of his presence and his acts. However, Reddick, in his attempt to (successfully) parallel Amsel's character with that of Grass himself, never examines this aspect of Amsel.

This lack also leads to Reddick drawing the conclusion that Dog Years is the weakest of the three books, while still proclaiming that as a whole they rank as the finest piece of modern German literature extant today. I feel Reddick is giving Dog Years short shrift here; while the book does, in fact, have its faults, they are faults shared by the other two novels as well, and I came away from Dog Years thinking that, to the contrary, it was the strongest and most absorbing of the three. While it was more difficult than the other two, it was also more rewarding and more absorbing; it's not often I'll put in three months on one novel, but at no time did I feel that it ever stopped moving me along, and at no time did I ever feel that it was time to put the book down for good.

Keeping this seeming oversight of Reddick's in mind, I still have to recommend his book as a perfect accompaniment to Grass' most famous three novels, and all four of them deserve the attention of every serious student of literature.

Grass uses wonderful, dense, invented words and peppers his novel with wonderful, dense, twisted imagery. Which is why I admire the work and why I was determined to finish the book although it was as intellectually heavy as a brick and occassionally tried my patience. This is not a book for an MTV-hyperactive attention span. More than a reflection of German mentality, it is a journey into the German mind, because so many times it follows a stream-of-consciousness approach. Sometimes it feels as if you're on a rollercoaster ride through the tunnels of a character's mind. Which is why I hated it too. I felt that many times the book became self-indulgent... that is, Grass wasn't writing for the reader but for himself or as a catharsis for his characters.

I only realized Dog Years was part of a trilogy after I bought it, and I enjoyed The Tin Drum much more because I read it after seeing the movie (it relieved the mind from loads of exertion). Although I am immensely relieved to have finally finished Dog Years, I still can't wait to read the other book of the trilogy, Cat and Mouse. Love to hate Grass.

This is no "lose weight fast" fad book, just good sense for reaching and maintaining a healthy weight.

1-2-3 Diabetes Diet: A Step-By-Step Approach To Weight Loss Without Gimmicks Or Risks by Robert J. Buynak is a complete introduction and methodical approach to the role of proper nutrition in treatment and controlling diabetes. Ably guiding readers through simple, "user-friendly ideas for proper dietary assessment, 1-2-3 Diabetes Diet offers reliable, "user friendly" guidance in such issues as properly navigating the grocery store, "survival" when eating out, enduring social pressures to go off a diabetic oriented diet, and trusting yourself to make healthy eating choices when dealing with diabetes. A critically important addition to any diabetes reference collection and reading list, 1-2-3 Diabetes Diet is very highly recommended as a knowledgeable and concise presentation of effective dietary tactics and nutritional strategies related to the condition of diabetes.

Diabetes 1-2-3 is a very informative guide to controlling diabetes. I especially appreciate the advice Dr. Buynak gives on how to strengthen one's self-control to better regulate food intake--the basis for all weight gain/loss. I recommend the book.

This book has a lot of good tips on how to set a weight-loss goal for yourself and how to follow through. It makes certain key points with welcome insistence, for example, the importance of portion control. Dr Buynak doesn't claim weight loss is easy, and he recognizes that without a modicum of self-control, nothing will happen. But he provides sensible advice on what foods to cut down on, what foods to have more of, the relative uselessness of fad diets, the crucial component of exercise, and more specialized advice on diabetes. The book is easy to read and well-organized, and it contains helpful hints on how to eat sensibly in restaurants. Well worth it!

If you are studying the Edgar Cayce material and unsure as to whether it conflicts with your Christian faith, then I strongly encourage you to read this!

If you have Christian friends & family who think you have been 'misled' by the Caybe material, then I strongly encourage you to get them a copy of this book! It just might help bridge the gap between you and bring healing.

I've given copies of this book to several Christian friends. I recommend this and 'The Christian Conspiracy' by Dr. L. David Moore as the most important books for born-again Christians and Catholics to gain understanding of other points of view from within a Christian perspective.

I first read this book (in its old edition) back in 1986 or 87. It was a significant moment for me, and helped put me on a path toward a more conscious, growth-filled, and expansive appropriation of my Christian faith. I wrote a fan letter to the author, who sent a very kind reply. Some of her advice still remains with me, well over a decade later. I was delighted to see this new edition, which I think will appeal to an even broader spectrum of Christian (and non-Christian) readers who are exploring the work of Edgar Cayce.

For years I have struggled the spiritual battle inside myself of finding "Where do I belong". Feeling unfulfilled in what I had learned all my years in attending church and the people I came to know there. Finding a church where I belonged. I have long admired what I had read on Edgar Cayce. I could not understand why such mean spirited statements were made against him. And where did that leave me in what felt so right deep inside. Wisdom is Proven by the thing it does is what it says in the bible. Finally I found this book by Ms. Sparrow and I read thoughts and feelings that had crossed my mind hundreds of times. If you can relate to any of this you will want to read this book! For some time now I have been non-committed and frozen in fear of what I felt inside was wrong. I figured for years I am not alone but where were people like me? Well one of them has written a deeply moving book proclaiming love of God & Christianity and what that can be. I wish we had more literature from people like Ms. Sparrow that share their faith in this way. It touched my soul and is definitely a rare find in todays books.

This is a good book on several fronts. Lynn Elwell Sparrow writes very clearly, layman to layman. She also approaches the work (and/or "Readings") of Edgar Cayce from the spiritual viewpoint of the Fundamentalist Christian. A new event, to my knowledge. This particular perspective was helpful to me, as my spiritual awakening originated in a Fundamentalist church. I imagine it will help others of the same inclination, as well.

The purpose of this book was to give relief and freedom to the Fundamentalist (or conservative) Christian that has found himself "caught between a rock and a hard place," in that they believe certain dogma and doctrine, but feel innately that there is more to it...more to be had, found, enjoyed and passed on.

Much of the author's book was spent validating Cayce's Readings relating to reincarnation. Ms. Elwell Sparrow was effective, in my opinion, in concretely defending the Reincarnationist's ability to exist without guilt within a Fundamentalist's world. It was refreshing. I know her words will be freeing to many.

I found one thing curious, however; a personal observation, nothing more. At one point in my exploration of cover to cover, I found myself sad (and a little frustrated) that the author was so bound up by conservativism and Fundamentalist dogma. Though I believe the Fundamentalist faith was (and is?) based on absolute uncontestable truths, I believe the movement in general has strayed a great deal from the purpose and mission of Christ. The more I read Ms. Elwell Sparrow, the more I wondered if she was in fact restricted in her own enlightenment by her unwillingness to let go of strident and outmoted theology.

Why must believers who have a more esoteric bent so fervently try to defend the mystical and the unexplainable by utilizing the semi one-dimensional wording contained in the Bible? That is not to say that the Bible is lacking, but let's all remember that it is a HISTORICAL TRUTH that the Bible was in fact edited at great length, sanitized, interpreted, cut and remade. The discoveries at Nag Hammadi attest to as much. Irrespective, it is a sad, frustrating truth that most Fundamentalists will only debate the Mysteries of God if the opposing viewpoint is rooted in Scripture only. For that reason alone this book is a positive source and a good read.

Highly recommend!! I am a new grad in the ER and this book has been a lifesaver (no pun intended). EVERY ER Nurse should buy this book; it is great!

As a new ER registered nurse I have found this book to be an extremely valuable book...much more inside than I expected!! I would definitely recommend!

Very good for the new Nurse in an ED, I found it alittle boring for an old ED Nurse

I really enjoy using this book as I work in the Emergency Department for the past 14 years as a Registered Nurse. It was a nice review also for preparing to take the CEN exam. I enjoyed being able to make mental notes of the different tests and possible procedures that I would be doing or assisting. The author is very informative and just goes to show that an ADN nurse knows just as much as a BSN nurse. I would recommend this book to Registered Nurses or student nurses who will eventually work in the Emergency Department after acquiring some experience so that the student or new RN's can be a step a head of the doctor to better assist in treating the patient for the best outcome.

I have read this book many times as well as his others and have also shared this book. This book and all of Ty's books really made a huge spiritual difference in my life. Ty has a easy to read and understand style that is always biblical. All of Ty's books are outstanding! This review could be for anyone of his 6 books. He also has them on Audio CD's in the form of sermons. You can get the CD's from his website online store at [...]. His books are well worth any price you might spend. Can you put a price on spiritual health?? I suggest them all!!

This outstanding book paints a picture of God's character that will take your breath away and leave you shaking your head in amazement! Truth is stranger than fiction! I see God and love through new eyes...yes, I see now what I never dreamed existed.
This book is a treasure in my library.

This book is incredible! I was extremely blessed by how Ty turns sometimes dry theology into vivid and enlightening truths. I especially love the poems at the beginning of each chapter :) This is one of the best books I've read, period. If you long for a deeper and more meaningful love relationship with God, this is the book for you. I've loaned it to some friends and I don't think I'll be getting it back for a while so I'm buying some more copies! Thanks Ty:)

This is such a wonderful book! Ty's earlier book, See With News Eyes, is probably still my favorite, but this one is not far behind. When I got to the end of this book, I just flipped back to the first page and started reading it over again! I've loaned an extra copy of mine out to a few people and sent it as a gift, as well. Also, it has a gorgeous cover and beautiful poems Ty has written to introduce each chapter. I highly recommend this book!

When your meetings have become grey with dullness, consider a little humor.

When the seriousness of business seems to have sunk everyone into boredom, try a little comedy.

When your co-workers are sitting like bumps on a log, get the energy going again with a morsel of mania.

Sheila Feigelson comes from a long line of appreciators of humor, & her book offers you ways in which to liven up those dreaded hours of dry statistics & logistics.

She also lets you know when NOT to crack a joke!

Well written, lightly treating a serious subject. Try ENERGIZE YOUR MEETINGS WITH LAUGHTER, you will like it, & you will like the change in your meetings!

When your meetings have become grey with dullness, consider a little humor.

When the seriousness of business seems to have sunk everyone into boredom, try a little comedy.

When your co-workers are sitting like bumps on a log, get the energy going again with a morsel of mania.

Sheila Feigelson comes from a long line of appreciators of humor, & her book offers you ways in which to liven up those dreaded hours of dry statistics & logistics.

She also lets you know when NOT to crack a joke!

Well written, lightly treating a serious subject. Try ENERGIZE YOUR MEETINGS WITH LAUGHTER, you will like it!

Sheila Feigelson is an all-star humor-in-meetings innovator. Her book is overflowing with great ideas. I recently tried one of her tips for nametags and increased donations from my non-profit board by 25 percent. Our meetings have become more productive, and nobody throws things anymore. Thank you, Sheila! Everyone should buy this book. I'm buying ten more copies right now!

Sheila Feigelson is incredible, and this book is a knockout. It's chocked full of so many great ideas that the meetings of my corporate board have become the most productive they've ever been. People don't dread coming to the meetings anymore; instead, they start thinking--weeks ahead of time--for ways to be funny and find opportunities for laughing together.

Feigelson's methods could and should revolutionize your meetings. Buy a copy today!

Unlike too many other books on the subject, Englert's book is readable, hitting the right balance between assuming the reader's background knowledge and explaining the roots of the school of thought.

Knew the author as a lad swinging through the "Little Everglades" at Stinson Beach and am not surprised he has come up with such a scholarly work.

Wally Englert is the greatest writer of all time. He has personally seen to it that the first line of "The Iliad" was recited by over 300 people. This may seem like a small task to you, but did you know "The Iliad" is recited in Ancient Greek? This is an impressive task. Big Wally Englert is also the nicest man I know. He is a friend to bicyclists everywhere, and always wears his bicycle helmet. He pretty much wrote the English version of "The Republic." Classicists everywhere are lining up to copy off of him -- imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Come on, read this book! It'll make you feel good!

While I have not actually read THIS book by Wally, I have read his Bryn Mawr commentary on Cicero's "Pro Caelio" and his version of "The Republic --" oh, I mean C.D.C. Reeve's version (wink, wink). Wally is my adviser at lovely Reed College in Portland, OR, and he has helped me a lot in my development as a human being and a student.

Again, I haven't read this book exactly, but his writing style is very fluid and easy to follow; his sense of humor shows through in his writing. So buy this book. You won't regret it

An Evolutionary Architecture can be considered, together perhaps with Nicholas Negroponte's Architecture Machine books, as one of the most important and inspiring references on the use of computation in architecture and design.

John Frazer describes in his book groundbreaking work carried during more than twenty years in diverse academic institutions, especially as the head of Unit 11 at the Architectural Association, and in collaboration with diverse architects and students.

Building on the foundations laid by Cybernetician Gordon Pask during the sixties, the work explained in the book takes to its furthest, most fascinating consequences the possibility of an autogenic, self-organising, evolutionary architecture. Through its pages, and with the examples of wonderful devices, Frazer questions fundamental architectural concepts such as those of design, intention and purpose.

This book should be indispensable to anyone interested in the creative use of computation in design. Besides becoming paradigmatic in the relation of self-organisation, emergence and other essential concepts to architecture, it essentially addresses the latent possibilities of the computer as a generative, creative engine of design.

Prof Frazer has generated significant results by treating Architecture as a form of artificial life and encapsulated his results in An Evolutionary Architecture. He has developed a strategy for thinking in Design, in its broader sense, opening the way to the development of a more successful method of coding information and generation of form than convention has previously allowed.

The book draws on the results of the Author's own work and that of Diploma Unit 11 at the Architectural Association. Result: powerful writing, magnetic images. This 'research unit' has bred the initial starting seeds of thought to lead to a new model for strategy in Designing.

This most appealing aspect of this book is that it provides a radical way of thinking about Design with challenging ideas. A book that can be dipped into with different strands of thought combination coming out each time, providing new directions to work through using this Model.

An Evolutionary architecture is a truly visionary book on architecture in a world with computers and with humans who conscientiously investigate and reflect not only on their own thinking and designing strategies but also on the history and principles of natural design.

Developing physical and virtual designs and custom-designed physical and virtual design tools, Frazer integrates and applies everything from evolutionary and developmental biology, computer science, mechanical engineering and electronic engineering to challenging 3D thinking into an evolutionary paradigm that promotes a fresh and fascinating view on architectural and interdisciplinary design.

The book is fantastic in terms of its innovative and truly inspiring qualities, its very competent writing as well as in terms of the visuals it contains. An Evolutionary Architecture was first published in 1995 and it discusses design work that has started in the 1960s. Nevertheless, the design approaches, tools and products shown are years, if not decades ahead of today's design thinking and methodologies. Many works shown are done by Frazer's students and demonstrate the innovative potential not only of his thinking but also of his teaching.

The book is a must-have for every creative person, for everyone interested in architecture and/or computers and most definitively for educators in these fields. It is very sad that it is out of print and I strongly suggest everyone who comes across it second hand not to hesitate buying it.

John Frazer's book is a ground-breaking work that has fundamentally influenced many of today's progressive architectural theorteicians and practicioners. Frazer advocates a fundamentally different approach to architectural and design computation, shifting from one of conventional, unidiriectional CAD representation to a creative dialogue with the computer. Designs are no longer finite solutions but rather are seen as outcomes of iterative rule-based systems, to produce adaptive solutions which are continuously evolving. Frazer's book beautifully weaves a compelling treatise of tangible user interfaces, generative design and evolutionary systems to produce a work of surprising simplicity in its narrative but with a powerful impact at multiple levels of theory and future practice.

As a practising architect involved in professional and academic research, this book has helped me on numerous occasions both in approaching practical problems as well as serving as a catalyst in more didactic and experimental settings. The book draws from a wide range of disciplines, including architecture, design, industrial and electronic engineering, computer science, mathematics, biology, economics and fine art. As such, this book is not only a cornerstone of contemporary architectural thinking, but of equal importance in the wider field of creative technology and advanced research for practicioners and scholars alike.

While most books on logistics and Supply Chain focus on the manufacturing and suppliers' side of the chain, this one takes you to the complete opposite, where the real value is, the CUSTOMER.
The book provides a thorough analysis of the 4 different models of delivery used by online retailers. The greatness of this book resides in the fact that it describes both the most successful online retailers' practices (Amazon, Freshdirect...) AND the biggest failures (Webvan) so we can learn from their mistakes.

Extending the Supply Chain is an excellent resource for the individual interested in establishing or perfecting a business that involves home delivery. The authors clearly identify the challenges relate to each type of customer. The research is thorough and comprehensive. The book is well laid out and easy to read. It is a great reference book!

Excellent!  For any company delivering goods directly to consumers' homes, this book is a must read!  Of particular interest to me were the following quotes: ..."The second major change that must be facilitated to make last mile supply chains truly soar is greater efficiency and standardization of home delivery."  ..."The primary challenge is delivering to a customer who is not home."  ..."Most, if not all, of the major third-party delivery companies are testing methods for unattended deliveries involving some type of controlled access smartbox."   ..."It is our belief that some type of larger, access-controlled box that is available to a wide variety of home delivery companies is an important hurdle for growing last mile deliveries."

This book provides great insight from "industry leaders" on how to promise and deliver product sold through the Internet. Many of the early adopters of Internet based sales systems failed to consider the difficulties of integrating a new system into their existing strategy. Extending the Supply Chain provides great examples of both failures and successes in industry, as well as, outline a framework that will help companies better position themselves to use the Internet as a competitve advantage. This book is a must read for all individuals that wish to take the last mile and use the Intenet to build a strong, viable sales channel.

Great Book. Taught my husband a few things about Fantasy Football that he didn't know and he has been playing for years. A must have for any wife who wants to learn what occupies hours of their husband's time.

The author REALLY knows his stuff as oppossed to some of the other writers of "for dummies" books! He truly has a love for the subject and it shows!

Highly recommended!


:)

I have always been curious about just what is fantasy football, and have passed up a few opportunities to join in because I lacked the confidence to join a league. Martin Signore spells out all of the ins the outs the dos and the don'ts in a very easy and understandable way. I can't wait for the season to start and hone in my newfound skills!

and neither are you. Don't waste your first season playing fantasy football by not being prepared. FFFD was designed to help new players avoid the pifalls that all of us hardened vets made back in the day...

FFFD explains how the game works, how to get started and even where to play online! There are also plenty of detailed, proven methods for drafting a great fantasy team and managing your team during the football season.

Is this a shameless plug? Of course it is, but I think the book is unique and I wish I had read it before I started playing...

If you are thinking about playing fantasy football or even if you played a little last year and want to improve those basic skills, get this book! It is a great introduction to fantasy football. It covers everything to get you started including where to play online and look online for information on players. Many of the tips are exactly what you need to draft, manage and improve your team for a winning season.

After reading Fantasy Football for Dummies, it is obvious that Martin Signore has played the game for many years and his love of the hobby shines through. Once again, the winning "dummies" format makes it easy. I am amazed at how much information he provides. Martin even discusses Auction leagues which many of todays FF books ignore. He hits all the right techniques and even includes some advanced draft strategies.

I usually find the "part of tens" pages in a dummies book tedious, but Martin has provided a great Top 10 list of mistakes to avoid and perhaps even more importantly ten fixes to make to your team after draft day. The draft is not the end but instead should be the starting point for a championship team. You should constantly try to improve your team through trades and/or the waiver wire. A great manager can always look back and point out a significant improvement during the season.

This is definitely the book of choice for anyone who wants an introduction to the greatest hobby of all time, Fantasy Football.

Sam Hendricks, author of "Fantasy Football Guidebook: Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football" and "Fantasy Football Almanac"