Organizations Books

This book has excellent (repeat excellent) depth of information on the Marine Corps Order of Battle, as expected from the title. It also contains very interesting lineage and background data and a wealth of related information. I would rate it excellent in these regards. Anyone with an interest in these subjects should have a copy of this book in their library.

I was a little disappointed to find the Tables of Organization (T/O) data somewhat less complete. There is considerable data buried in text and higher level summary data (such as number of men and major weapons at company level) in the tables, but unfortunately the book does not contain the detailed T/O of Marine units that I had hoped for. This is especially true for pre-war and early war organizations and for ancillary units (like Engineer and Pioneer units). The Bibliography does mention that Tables of Organization are retained by the Marine Corps Historical Center in original paper format and are not complete. This would make the accumulation of complete Tables of Organization a difficult task, but perhaps Mr. Rottman and/or Mr. Frank will be able to turn their considerable research abilities to detailed T/Os in a future work.

All in all an excellent work and one that I recommend very highly!

This book is truly one the best books on the topic of military orders of battle. Not only does Rottman present the complete order of battle of the USMC in WWII, but he also discusses the changes in its TOE and the doctrine behind the organization. Not only does he present a detailed OB that covers all land and air units, he also presents a battle by battle OB as well. This book is a must have for serious fans of WWII history, the USMC, and Order of Battle afficianados. This book will be a resource to scholars for generations to come.

This book is everything the previous reviewers have said it is, a unique and indispensable resource on the World War II Marine Corps. It is not cheap, of course, but it saved me many hours of digging through archives, not to mention the time spent getting to them.

The main chapters cover: 1. USMC organizational profile; 2. USMC shore establishment; 3. Fleet Marine Force (FMF); 4. Amphibious corps and forces -- Marine divisions, brigades, and tactical groups (including a summary of the history and actions of each); 5. FMF ground units (including a brief summary of the history and actions of each regiment and significant independent unit); 6. FMF ground unit operations (brief description of each major action, with order of battle on both sides and summary of results, including one or more maps for most); 7. USMC aviation profile; 8. USMC aviation units (to squadron and detachment level, with brief summary entry for each); 9. FMF aviation unit campaign participation.

There are useful appendixes covering the characteristics and utilization of weapons, aircraft, and landing ships and craft, as well as: a recap of USMC casualties; unit citations and commendations (as well as a statistical summary of individual awards); succinct but useful summary information on the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, and Japanese forces; a listing of code names; and a comprehensive table of comparative rates and ranks.

As noted by another reviewer, the tables of organization are not always so detailed or complete as might be wished. Those who have been directly involved in military operations, however, will know that such tables always represent objectives rather than reality and that the actual organization is constantly in flux -- particularly so in war. One can get a detailed look at unit personnel strength (in most cases) by consulting the muster rolls (available on microfilm), but it is not practical to try to include all this information in a book even of this size.

With its oversized (7" × 10") page format and 600 text pages one would expect this book to pack a lot of information. The author manages to provide more even than might be expected by organizing the material well, which also makes it easy to find what you are looking for in this sea of data. Despite its "just the facts" orientation, readers will find many fascinating tid-bits. It is inevitable that in a book with this much information some bits will not be quite correct, but errors are few and inconsequential.

Most people probably neither need nor can afford this book for themselves, and the publisher has wisely positioned it as a library title. If you have any need or desire to study the Pacific War in depth, however, you will definitely want to urge your library to acquire it. This book is naturally complemented by Rottman's _World War II Pacific Island Guide : A Geo-Military Study_ (ISBN 0313313954), which provides details of the places where the Marines fought.

Will O'Neil

If you've read other biographies of Josemaria Escriva and Opus Dei, this one will strike you as refreshingly objective. It offers the reader many of the historical and cultural details of Spain that have been omitted in other books of the same subject. In particular, it offers a clear and objective explanation of the Spanish Civil War, which was the occasion for many of Escriva's and his followers' acts of heroism. In general, this broader historical perspective gives the reader a more realistic view of Opus Dei and its founder. This approach, in effect, allows the figure of Escriva to emerge even more convincingly as a truly saintly man.

I found this book to be exceptional in understanding not only Opus Dei in Spain early on, but also Spainish society before, during, and after their civil war.
The author does present many of the controversial topics that were present at the time. The author also presents it to allow a reader to see both sides of the story. As a first step to any investigation or study of this group or as suplement to an exsisting study, I would highly recommend.
The pace of the book was exceptional. The author maintains a steady flow and rarely slows down with inconsequential details yet retains the important facts to give a complete picture.
I urge anyone to read it, but do not stop there. Find additonal books that strive for objective views. Perhaps the best way to research is to talk to the people involved. Personal interviews seems to be the best way to understand what Opus Dei is, where it is from, and where it is going.

An engaging and very easy book to read. Quite hard to put down.

The many vignettes and anecdotes gives one a true appreciation for the life and calling of this man and great Saint. His heroic life and spirituality shine through these pages. This Saint's supernatural outlook and love seems to have permeated his every moment of life. His dedication to the poor and the love for mankind is an inspiration to all.

I would highly encourage every person, irrespective of their religious background, who is interested in deepening their spirtuality, to read this book.

If I were stuck on that proverbial desert island with just one book, this would be it. I've read these graceful four line poems over and over, and every time gain fresh insight. The genius of this work is that it can be read on so many different levels--give it to a couple newly in love and they can read it to each other as a book of love poems. Give it to a serious seeker of God and they will understand the love and beloved of the poems to be the relationship between Rumi and God, and the ecstasy of real communion with God...either way, this poems are beautiful and infinite. I brought this book to Afghanistan (where Rumi was born) and found the love of this poet (who they know as Bahlki) to be a bond, and we translated many poems back and forth...there are many more. BUY this book! And buy five copies to give to friends. Even people who think they don't like or read poetry end up loving this book, especially if they are on the path to God.

For the mystically inclined, Moyne and Barks translation of this collection of Rumi quatrains, is an "evocative" excursion into that "realm"..the realm of the "mystical". Truly, a source of contemplation and deep wisdom, the book also "tests" "traditional" concepts and notions related to...the "boundaries" of love. But, Rumi was a truly "enlightened" being, and, therefore although...a being whose words will "stretch" our mind...he will never be talking about anything but..the "divine" in essence. This particular collection by Moyne and Barks...speaks a little more "specifically" to the aspect of "longing" in the "spiritual search".

How beautiful the translations:

Night comes so people can sleep like fish
in black water. Then day.

How beautiful the poetry:

I have no name
for what circles
so perfectly.

Keep this book close to you for those thin, lonely hours so that you can understand -

We are the night ocean filled
with glints of light...

This book is a must have for anyone who is willing to teach in an urban education setting. Easy to read with common sense terminology.

I used the earlier version of this book with pre-service teachers in their final university practicum. It's an honest, forthright, useful guide for beginning teachers. My students compared what they were reading with their placement experiences. I can only assume that Weiner has done an even more excellent revision, addressing the toughest issues that teachers face.

Lois Weiner's Urban Teaching provides a clear and insightful look into the issues that each urban teacher faces. A well-balanced mix of theory and anecdotes creates a reader-friendly text with suggestions that rookie and experienced educators alike can adopt.

Perhaps the greatest strength of this text is that it provides information that can be easily translated for every classroom. All students face issues similar to those discussed here, and ultimately all teachers will surely benefit from Weiner's discussion.

I just got the book, have only unpackaged it and thumbed through it quickly but can already see this is a excellent, quality book!! It will make a fine addition to my Masonic book collection. Highly recommended.

In this book the Masons can do no wrong. They are "charitable, decent and upright," even Satanist Albert Pike! But disinformation aside, this volume is a treasure trove of rare photos from the masonic archives. Short shrift is given to the powerful, populist anti-masonic uprising that arose in the wake of the masonic assassination of William Morgan (1826), but the book nonetheless features extensive background on the masonic nature of US Presidents, "heroes" and military men, north and south, Republican and Democrat. A must-have for all anti-masonic scholars and conspiracy researchers. My favorite color photo? The seldom-seen backside of the sinister, two-headed eagle flag of the Knights Templar that Lt. Col. Edwin A. "Buzz" Aldrin carried with him to the moon. The banality of evil: Teddy Roosevelt, Harry Truman, NASA and the peculiarly American sorcery that is Freemasonry.

Founded in Charleston, South Carolina, on May 31, 1801, the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite is the largest and most successful of the Masonic organizations. This magnificent, coffee table sized history traces the development of the Scottish Rite from its pre-history in England and France to the present day, in tandem with American history. The profusely-illustrated volume includes paintings, portraits and photos of Masonic ceremonies, of famous Masons (from George Washington to Michael Richards--Seinfeld's "Kramer"), of Masonic regalia (ceremonial clothing and decorations), as well as including a concise and well-written history of the Order. It is a beautiful volume which you will want to open again and again.

Four months ago I started volunteering at a fairly new Catholic Worker house in Akron, OH. I knew virtually nothing about The Worker; of course, I'd heard of Dorothy Day and even stayed in a Worker house on a weekend retreat but never thought to inquire into its history and philosophies. A good friend asked me to help her out at the Casa de la Paz (the Akron House), to get me out of the full-time work/college grind. I agreed and fell in love with the folks I came in contact with. Quickly I sank deeper and deeper into the house's struggles and joys (mostly joys) and picked up on the philosophies behind the movement. Aine, one of the house coordinaters, loaned me her copy of Voices from the Catholic Worker to read. An avid reader herself, she pointed out a couple in the book and directed my attention to a hand-written script in the first pages. "To Mary and Pat {Murray}, True Catholic Worker "lifers" and an inspiration to me. Love, Rosalie" I delved into the book and learned of a truly blessed movement through the mouths and lives of the people that helped withstain it. Folks like the Murrays, the Zarrellas, and other common people whose lives were transformed forever. Troester weaves the memories of Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin and other prominent figures into a cohesive history that reads like a campfire conversation. Strangely intimate and familiar, one feels a friendship with the storytellers that delves the reader into the book and arrests his/her interest in the present. (My teapot screamed for minutes before I shook myself out of my reverie and answered its wail.) One of the best books I've read this year, it's a necessary read for those searching for a more intimate recount of the Catholic Worker history.

It's the small human touches that make connections that make a difference. Riegle has done an inspiring job of recording them in a book that's encouraging to read especially at a time when success is measured in mergers and Web billions.

Troester is only the editor of this book. The actual text is taken from interviews of Catholic Workers all over N America. Because of this, it's an all-encompassing book...with voices who are Catholic, Jewish, Athiest, Buddhist, and in-between...people who practice hospitality in different ways, running Shelters, Soup Kitchens, Farms, and also homes for kids...people with all sorts of different opinions and ages...and stories of all different sorts. No one person could possibly have written such an excellent book. Also, if you're hesitating about reading this book because you think it may be too Catholic, or too political, or too do-gooder, too conservative or too radical or what have you...then I suggest that there are so many voices in this book that this need not be a concern. Somewhere in this book there is a story of profound value for everyone.

Traditional Chinese philosophy has more to offer than just food for one's soul - it can help one's business as well. "The Way of Innovation: Master the Five Elements of Change to Reinvent Your Products, Services, and Organization" is a guide to using the eastern elements of change to push change in your business. Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth all have something to teach entrepreneurs on improving their company, and "The Way of Innovation" will teach readers how.

"Innovation" is on everyone's mind but can be a buzzword whose meaning eludes us: common belief is that a small group of visionaries, somehow blessed with a gift, innovate for the rest of us. Kaihan turns this notion on its head and makes Innovation accessible to all who would learn and apply this ancient knowledge: He gives us a solid methodology, grounded in 5,000 years of tradition.

Innovation is a hot topic (again!) in management circles these days. How do companies reinvent themselves to beat back competition and grow in size and value? Innovation hinges on change and creativity, both of which are notoriously difficult to manage or lead on demand. The usual management consulting techniques, tinkering with the mechanics of organizational structures and business processes tend to produce little if any improvement in innovation, which ties to more organic (and intangible) factors such as organizational culture and strategy.

Kaihan Krippendorff's new book "The Way of Innovation" provides an important contribution to the literature on innovation, primarily by harkening back to principles of ancient Eastern philosophies of Buddhism and Taoism. Specifically, he provides a holistic strategic framework for instigating business innovation, deploying it, and perhaps most importantly, protecting and sustaining market gains deriving from those innovations.

The first half of the book lays out this framework. The core of this framework is a model of the five phases of change, cast metaphorically in elemental terms as Metal (discontent), Water (imagination), Wood (formation, development); Fire (breakout, rapid growth), and Earth (consolidation, protection). Krippendorff also draws on other Eastern concepts such as dualism (material vs immaterial/conceptual realities, creation-destruction), Sun Tzu's models for framing conflict situations, and the strategic patterns he assembled for responding effectively.

Krippendorff explains the five phases model of innovation in detail, albeit at a fairly high strategic level. For readers immersed in day-to-day tactical and operational concerns, this perspective may seem somewhat ethereal and uncomfortable, but I believe that it is an appropriate and necessary approach. Fortunately, Krippendorff supplies numerous business examples to illustrate and ground his points.

The next section of the book reviews the five phases briefly, but this time supplies a set of guidelines, exercises, and templates for applying the framework to the reader's organization. Given the abstract nature of the framework, this rehearsal serves to reinforce the structure of the framework and add some welcome "how tos". The final section of the book presents eight case studies of innovative businesses, highlighting how those organizations dealt with each of the five phases of Krippendorff's framework.

One (minor) disappointment is that Krippendorff's references to existing literature are generally oblique and anonymous - explicit footnotes naming key names and resources on innovation and competition (e.g., Geoffrey Moore, Clayton Christensen, Everett Rogers, Kim and Mauborgne, Gary Hamel, Michael Porter, would be very helpful to readers wanting to learn more.

The Way of Innovation is a cogent and well written book. The framework Krippendorff suggests is genuinely insightful and helpful to leaders searching for ways to promote innovation. By staying at a high strategic level, Krippendorff necessarily goes into less depth and detail than authors that focus on particular phases of the innovation lifecycle (e.g., Moore's Crossing the Chasm and Christensen's Innovator's Dilemma).

The advantage he gains and delivers to the reader, however, is a broader (Eastern) appreciation for the organic and cyclic nature of change. His approach also highlights the fact that different strategies (and tactics) are required as you progress through the different phases. This is particularly valuable in Krippendorff's discussions of balance, which emphasizes the necessity of mastering all five phases of change in order to succeed and to sustain organizational innovation and competitiveness.

This book and the other three in the series will give you a new appreciation for hymns that you probably learned a few years ago. Besides background on the hymn, the authors have also supplied a CD with a nice choral arrangement of each song. The art work, print quality, and music is all excellent.

I am listening to my copy of the CD as I order three more copies of this fabulous book and CD to give away. What a deal! Easter is only a week away and the hymns in it are most appropriate to express our joy at Christ's redeeming work on the Cross and His glorious resurrection. Today's modern "worship" music can NEVER compare to rich and beautiful hymns of better days.

I heard about this series of three books with their accompanying CDs from from a radio interview with Joni. She was expressing concern over how Christian music is losing its depth of meaning and its doctrinal reinforcement.

Joni has succeeded in selecting and rendering some of Christendoms most relevant hymns to encourage and edify the Church and the Lord jesus Christ. The reader/listener will find him or herself elevated and singing along with these classic hymns (words and music are included in the book). If you have never been moved to tears over a hymn, these renditions may do it!

"What Wondrous Love Is This" captures in a very powerful and moving way what Christ has done for mankind.

Vocals range from solos to choral music accompanied by the humble piano or full orchestra. The tone is not loud or brash. Joni's humble character comes through in the way the book was designed and the way the music is performed.

I highly recommend adding all three books in the series to your library. I give copies away to encourage others spiritually.

Class collection of data and analysis regarding the (very limited) utility of lecturing for achieving educational objectives beyond information transfer. Do you want to change attitudes, or teach skills, or impart enthusiasm or curiosity? Don't lecture.

When this book was first published in 1971, the first edition sold out in ten weeks. Long regarded as a classic on the topic of lecturing, this book is an indispensable manual for anyone who aspires to be a skilled lecturer and teacher. It examines the nature of teaching and learning in a classroom lecture-describing how students learn, how much knowledge they retain, and how to enhance their attention and motivation.

Bligh offers a wealth of practical suggestions for making lectures more engaging and effective. Topics include taking notes, using handouts, practising different formats and styles, obtaining feedback, overcoming difficulties, evaluating the lecture, and testing alternative methods when lecturing is not adequate.

Written in an accessible and helpful style, this very readable book is a source of great insight for people who lecture-experienced or not. Teachers at every level will find straightforward and detailed practical advice to help improve their lectures. However, the author reminds us that, like musical composition and performance, lecturing is an art. Skill is acquired by practice rather than by reading books. Yet just as the budding composer may wish to study forms of composition known to have been successful, but later disregard them, so new lecturers may wish it worthwhile to consider the findings of research into lecturing before developing their own style.

Donald A. Bligh was a pioneer in university staff development when he joined London University's Teaching Methods Unit in 1970. He was the first professor and director of continuing education at the University of Dundee (1985-1989) and is now honorary research fellow in computer science at Exeter University.

BOOK REVIEW: What's the Use of Lectures? by Donald Bligh. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000.
The following review is from from "Teaching Concerns" by Dustin Kidd

First, some disappointing news for those of us who lecture: lectures are ineffective, as compared to other teaching methods, for teaching values, inspiring interest, developing personalities, or instilling behavioral skills. So why lecture? That's the central question in Donald Bligh's What's the Use of Lectures? The answer seems simple enough: "Use lectures to teach information. Do not rely on them to promote thought, change attitudes, or develop behavioral skills if you can help it" (20). The logical question to ask next is "How can a lecture best teach information?"

Bligh offers eight principles to follow for using lectures to teach information.

Make the lecture meaningful to the students. Lectures are easier to comprehend when they connect with students' everyday realities.
Use "whole learning" to teach understanding and "part learning" to teach specific information. In my course on American society and popular culture, I open each lecture by asking students to think sociologically about the topic at hand and to identify important sociological research questions ("whole learning"). I then move to "part learning" as I teach the specific findings of research that has been conducted in particular areas.
Organize the subject. Summaries, overviews, and concept maps (a technique you can learn more about at the TRC) can provide an overarching narrative for each lecture. The syllabus and the construction of exams, papers, and assignments provide a similar narrative for the entire semester. This level of organization aids student learning by connecting the specific components of the course together into a comprehensible whole.
Put new information to use swiftly. Quizzes, short papers, discussions, and assignments provide an opportunity for students to put new knowledge to work, thus improving their retention.
Use repetition within lectures. State the key points at the beginning and at the end. Repeat the definitions of concepts and important conclusions often.
Frequently provide feedback on learning. Students learn better when they know how to evaluate their own progress. Testing knowledge early and often improves student learning.
Keep students alert. (Poor posture indicates low student attention.) Mix up visual and auditory stimulation. Provide an element of novelty in each lecture. Interject your lecture with "change-ups" that will energize your students' attention spans (see "The `Change-Up': A Good Pitch to Have in Your Teaching Repertoire." http://trc.virginia.edu/tc/1997/ChangeUp.htm)
Connect new concepts to previous lectures. By drawing on previous knowledge to teach new information, you reinforce the earlier concept while making the new information easier to learn.
What's the Use of Lectures? supports these claims with a wide array of research from the classroom. The book also provides extensive suggestions for addressing these areas in very specific ways-from methods for teaching note-taking to your students, to tips on effective use of handouts. Whatever your academic field, this book is a gold mine of resources for achieving our goal as lecturers to teach knowledge and understanding

This book is a must read for anyone with an inquiring mind. Kuhn conclusively documents that the sublime wisdom embodied in Greek myth and Bible allegory is still not interpreted correctly by the western mind. As such, it will prove to be the weightiest psychological indictment of ignorance that history will present against the Christian civilization of this age. Indeed it is the root cause of conflict within and between societies - causing an unwarranted schism between conservatives and progressives.

He documents the source of the NT typology and allegory as being derived from ancient Egyptian systematization - the formulation for the individual of the virtuous and divine temple steps for the soul; to understand and apply to beome a creative worthwhile consciousness. His methodology evidences the real ancestral lineage of the OT and NT mythologies and he does this superbly well in tracing the image sources. He initially describes it as "revamped and terribly multilated Egyptianism" but recognizes there is much deeper layer of developed sentient meaning to be gleaned from the co-linking of scripture allegories, once perceived - that at least matches if not surpassing the original increment of the ancient mythologies. The co-linking of allegories provides conclusive evidence of layered sophisticated meaning. He starts by stating that Christianity must acknowledge its parentage in a pagan (called ancient primitive) past and that only by such recognition and regaining of its parentage will the sublime be comprehended - its true nobler splendor. Convincingly, he traces the Egyptian Jesus, Egyptian Lazarus, Egyptian Bethany, and the two Egyptian Maries. Egypt knelt at the shrine of the Madonna and child, Isis and Horus and Egypt had long known Jesus, Iusa - born of immaculate parenthood, circumcised, baptized, tempted, glorified on the mount, persecuted, resurrected, and elevated to heaven. Egypt had listened to the Sermon on the Mount, and the Sayings of Iusa for ages. But Egypt's Christ was not a living person and neither was it historicized in Judean times - but exists at all times. In other words the Gospels "life" of Jesus turns out to be out to be nothing but the garbled and fragmentary copy of the Egyptian and other prototypes, never lived. But the light of Egypt Occidental religion can now find its way from medieval darkness to sunlit truth. The Dark Ages can now be brought to their dismal end means there is more to the later-day allegories than former - a way for the construction by the individual of that long sought divinity requires a much greater comprehension of the allegorical methodology.

In stating this Kuhn deeply comprehends that the NT largely replicates and enhances the types in the OT in a particular Hebraic way of thought and that the original stories in form came from early Mediterranean/Eastern sources and that the final culmination and apocalyptic scenes of Revelation point back to and remember OT precedents ("historically" referenced and allegorical conjoined links) and these then become motifs for higher perception of both the virtuous and disreputable psychological elements in all ages at all times. The purveyors of the OT and NT were taking very real but mythological, portrayed precedents and elaborating these with partial "historical" recollections of the elements in all events, to portray the forward and backward steps that living creativity confronts - the divine focused element and systematization of the creative element within each individual - the Christ within - the temple covering of the soul and heart. This is as far removed from the literal and historicized ruse Christianity that we are duped with in the mediums of today. Readers are capable of taking this knowledge much further and seeing the real message in Scriptural writings (yet to be disclosed) if allegorical appreciation is developed. This strictly opposes the static legalism, literalism and deadly indoctrination of the illiterate purveyors of a so-called naïve truth and this opportunity has been more starkly available since the pick struck the Rosetta Stone in 1796. Kuhn has traced original Hebraic meanings and documents that many others have seen the same revelations down the centuries of time - but the poetry of deep allegorical meaning has remained in the hands of a few. The tide has turned. A great read for anyone with an open mind and willing to sing a new higher song of joyful and inspiring eternal hope in divinity - we are yet to revive.

Alvin Boyd Kuhn really gets his facts straight when he reviews Christianity's origins as being not from Palestine, but ancient Egypt! Alvin Boyd Kuhn describes the myths of Egypt and demonstrates the fact that Jesus of Nazareth is a typical savior-type, which was quite common to the ancient mind. His pronouncement that Jesus is non-historical is not presented to destroy Christianity but to unlock the secret meaning and by doing so introduce the reader into the deeper meaning of the Gospels.

This book is not intended for the individual who is content with the common view of a historical Jesus but for the individual who struggles with a faith that seems like an impossibility. I would recommend this book to any theologian or spiritual seeker.

Alvin Kuhn presents an extensively researched study of the origins of Christianity in Egyptian and Greek history and of the tragic efforts of the early church to cover up those origins and to adapt the gospels to the ignorance of the people; people made ignorant by the burning of libraries and closing of universities by that same church. Despite the present day trend toward fundalmentism, I think the educated public is ready for the truth, for a faith that is believable, and for a Cristos that is centered in the heart of the individual. Since this book was written in 1943, most of us would have been deprived of its wealth of knowledge concerning this important aspect of our lives had someone not chosen to have it reprinted. The studies by Egyptologist, Gerald Massey, on whose work Kuhn bases much of this treatise, is now also available and is a work of fact and truth supporting Kuhn's revelation of a corrupt church.