Adam Books

I just finished reading the book "Miss America,1945:Bess Myerson and the year that changed our lives" and i tell you it's very thought provoking book about what Bess Myerson went through during her reign as Miss America with all the prejudices that she went through.Although it's set in 1945,It's still holds true today.You can honestly say that from the end of World War 2 up to the late 1940's was an important period of change in America where a Jewish girl from the Bronx achieved the dream of every girl who wanted to win the crown of Miss America and two years later Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball.Over all it's a great book and it's something that everyone must have for their book collection.

Ably narrated by Bess Myerson and Adam Grupper, Miss America 1945 is Susan Dworkin's engaging rendition of Bess Myerson's memoirs of her self as a naive Jewish girl from the Bronx, a scheming beauty pageant promoter, and rampant anti-Semitism within the context of a national post-war euphoria. What is particularly fascinating is Myerson's candid revelations of what it was like to be the first (and only) Jewish Miss America and her emergent political activism that resulted from her experiences with the beauty pageant. This abridged-by-the-author audiobook edition features flawless production values and has a running time of 5 hours, 10 minutes. Miss America 1945 is an ardently recommended addition to personal and library audiobook collections.

Absolutely intriguing portrait of a truly fascinating and remarkable woman, not to mention a unique era in history. Bess Myerson symbolized so much, at a very important time in American history. Well worth reading/listening to!

There she goes, Miss America. And Bess Myerson was America's first (and still only) Jewish Miss America, an groundbreaking achievement that makes for riveting cultural and social history. This is not a new book --- it is the first paperback edition of Susan Dworkin's landmark collaborative biography that was first published in 1987, and it is still an important one. Dworkin weaves together oral histories, research and commentary to present not only a vivid portrait of pre-feminist America in the '30s and '40s, but one of Jews, of women, of the anti-Semitic riddled Miss America pageant and of Myerson's own life. A crowning success. Still.

The book is fair and illuminating in giving us a Kurdish side of Turkish, Iraqi and Iranian history. It's an important story, full of significant sub-plots. For just one example, McDowall explains that after Saddam nationalized Iraq's oil in 1972, Kurdish rebels like Mulla Mustafa feared that "Kurdish oil would be turned into Arab oil". They still wanted 2/3rds of all oil revenue reserved for the Kurdish community, and now they sought support from the United States. As the Pike Papers revealed in 1976, Henry Kissinger argued that "a new regime might let us back into the oilfields". In 1973 Mulla Mustafa threw secrecy to the winds by announcing in the Washington Post,

"We are ready to act according to US policy if the US will protect us from the wolves. In the event of sufficient support we should be able to control the Kirkuk oilfields and confer exploitation rights on an American company."

Very detailed description of the modern history of kurds. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of the kurds.

The only shortcoming of the book is that it stops in the year 1996. And thus does not account for the capture of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader PPK, and other major new incidents. Nevertheless, you will learn a lot!

Although the authorhas cut some of the subjects very short such as Kurdish language and excluded Yezidi and LUR from Kurdish nationality,he is very detailed in the history of the last century of Kurdistan in amanner i have never seen.I truly encourage every Kurd,Turk,Persian, and Arab to read this Treasure.I also would like to get in touch with Mr Mcdowall to discuss the possibility of translating it into either Kurdish or Arabic.

The tragic history of the Kurds, with regards to their internecine politics vis-a-vis the various tribes, and more importantly their use as a pawn by larger states in the harsh realpolitik of the region has been captured in this extraordinary book. From the Treaty of Sevres, which offered a glimmer of hope to the Kurds for statehood, to the Treaty of Lausanne, which ultimately marked the end of any Great Power support for statehood aspirations, the book creates a remarkable story.
Following WWI, and with the subsequent jockeying for power in the region following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, McDowall presents a clear pattern of failure by the Kurds to coalesce and create a common front to articulate their views. Also presented is the similarly clear pattern by the states, which currently have Kurdish populations, to disenfranchise the Kurds and marginalize their political aspirations.
This history covers the fallout from the Coalition war against Iraq (Operation DESERT STORM). I would love to see a more current version of the book which discusses how the current status quo has refueled Kurdish aspirations for autonomy...likewise I would like to see how recent events in Turkey have affected the Kurdish population of SE Turkey.
A great book for both the casual reader of the history of this volatile region of the world, and for the scholar alike...Highly recommended. McDowall has penned the authoratitive modern history.

I bought this for my 3yr old for Halloween and she loved it. The pictures are great and like other reviewers she's sad about the Count having no friends. I love it when children's books have a chuckle in them for the parent and this one certainly does.

This is one of those rare books that my three year old daughter requests over and over again at story time. "Read me the Monster book," she asks several times per week before snuggling into her bed.

Something about this book grabs her attention and holds onto it better than her other books. She feels bad that count Drac has no friends at the beginning and wants his party to be a big success. She loves to look at the silly bats, mummies, and cyclops as they make their way to the party. The zombies are wonderfully, "Yucky." She worries over poor Frankenstein, who has a cold. But, her favorite is the disco dancing wolfman. "He's almost as hairy as you, Dad," she laughs. (I look better in a leisure suit, though.)

The claymation figures are interesting to look at, the language is rythmic and the story of a monster party is just plain fun. This repeatedly requested book earns a five star rating at my house. I hope your kids like it, too.

This picture book follows the story of lonely Count Dracula and his attempt to make new friends at a party. The writing is rhythmic and fun to read aloud, and the claymation artwork is spectacular! There are visions to make both the young and the old laugh out loud! I have yet to read it to anyone who hasn't squealed with delight!

This is a very appealing book. Extremely well drawn, with charming drawings and very entertaining text. A very good gift for children. Nice for adults too.

A great introduction to parenthood for those of us new to parenting. I got this book as a gift when my husband and I found out we were pregnant and it has been my constant companion. Highly recommended!

I'm a new father and was given this book as a gift. I didn't really know what to think about it until I started reading and fell in love with it. It made me realize that I am now a part of this huge tribe of parents, that my wife and I are not alone. I reccommend it to all parents and it makes a great baby shower gift for parents-to-be. It's simply a lovingly-written, heart-warming book.

This is such a sweet, emotional, reflective book, especially for first-time parents and parents with young children. Even the format (short essays and poetry), lends itself to chaotic schedules; you can read a page or two, put the book down and then pick it up right where you left off. Over the 2 or 3 days it took for me to complete this book, I found myself much more pensive than usual, reflecting on the essays, and delighting in the fact that a moment would soon come when I could pick up the book again. The work comes straight from the heart of the authors, and Groneberg's Introduction, along with her superb job of intertwining the pieces, are a testament to her beautiful writing and editing skills. As you read through the book, you could very well be re-living your own child's birth, first bath, or sleepless nights. It may sound trite, but there truly is something for everyone here. I especially loved "El Producto," "How my Children Came to Me," and "The Digging Hole," but every piece will in some way connect to that huge, proud, protective, vulnerable, loyal, fiercely loving Parent in all of us and reconfirm that indeed it is the best thing going. I know I will reach for the book time and again as my kids and I travel this grand journey.

Geared especially toward first-time parents, My Heart's First Steps will find a ready audience among those for whom it is intended. The construction itself, with short chapters, essays, and poems, will make it appealing to those first-timers in the dizzy world of parenting in which some days success is measured by having found time to brush your teeth, make the bed, and decide what you're having for dinner. Not actually prepared it and served it, mind you: just decided what to fix. The entries are short enough to be read in the 5-10 minutes at a stretch that are all new parents feel they can call their own.
It's meant to be sweet and sentimental - and it is. I did find myself, at points, wishing for a little more of the gritty and grizzly side of new parenting issues, more of an Annie Lamott take on how very difficult it often is to devote yourself to a 10-pound morsel of demanding humanity.

This book is a valuable resource for students of Eastern European History. Adam Broner's first person narrative skillfully connects the author's personal story with the larger events surrounding his life. The wide scope and long time period provide a neutral perspective and a greater understanding of the events. Broner's personal stories draw the reader into history and bring it to life in a new way. The book would easily fit into a curriculum covering World War II, Communism, Eastern Block History, Anti-Semitism, and particularly Poland. This remarkable biography can be enjoyed by anyone, but it will be especially appreciated by all scholars of history.

This man's story has touched this woman's heart. It is a simple, easy to read, straightforward, historical and personal account of the human and his indomitable spirit. This eye-opening account leaves me with a lifetime education. I am humbled by this man's love for his faith, family and country.

A fine book about the history of these trying times reported by a person that lived the story. It reflects great memory and great research. It should be read by all students now and in the future interested in this period of world history.

Adam Broner's book is a well-written, very readable one person's story of the most important event of the 20th century, World War II. It is a remarkable, I would even say unique story. At that turbulent time, most people let themselves be pushed where the changing fates of war were throwing them. Not so the young Adam Broner. He repeatedly made his own decisions, sometimes risky but right and courageous. The most important of these was to desert the "working battalions" in Siberia, and to join the army fighting the Nazis. It may sound strange, but Adam Broner's story is also unique because it tells the plain truth. He has not adapted his narrative to the now prevalent ideas. Broner simply tells us how it was. A good book. Richard Fenigsen, M.D., Waltham, Massachusetts.

Databinding is handled later, and lots of interesting stuff I wasn't knowledgeable about came sooner. Bravo. This is a great book that will always be on my desk! (I'm a professional developer with walls of books by Microsoft on Wrox, primarily.)

This was the 3rd or 4th WinForms book I purchased. The others were good, but they were lacking in detail. This book does a great job in explaining 'under the cover' details. The authors do a good job explaining DataBinding, Controls, GDI+, Form, Menus, Inheritance and much more.
This is more than a resource book. The first half is devoted to getting you up and running with building WinForms apps. The 2nd half is an incredible reference, one I turn to almost daily.

If you plan to use or are using .NET WinForm, please, do yourself a big favor, buy this book and leave it on your desk

The authors appear to go to great length for completeness in a companion reference for programmers creating DotNet Forms, an important new feature of the DotNet frameworks. We have been always looking for a capable web enabled report writer without integrating a third-party product, such as Crystal Reports for the Web. DotNet Forms promises in creating at least simple, yet dynamic, multi-paged reports without a whole lot of work.

DotNet provides for creating dynamic Excel-like forms for ASP.NET html. Additional form paging provides for DB presentation similar to Yahoo and eBay searches, which is a familiar and intuitive format. DotNet provides these DataGrid forms with the DotNet Forms API. The API architecture is listed in the last two-thirds of this book, which is an inch and a half thick.

While the authors claim to include a "very fast-paced" tutorial (p1) in the first third (313 pgs) of the book, the DataGrid portion is a mere 6 pages (p307-312), very steep indeed! I'd highly recommend its combined use with another MS Press book by Dino Esposito (0-7356-1578-0) which devotes about half of his book to DataGrid reports and code examples. Another is Jesse Liberty's O'Reilly book on VB.Net (0-596-00438-9) which has one chapter devoted to ADO.net (34pgs).

The publisher include a MS Visual Studio.Net Add-in on the accompanying CD which has the text of the book as integrated help files, 1.7MB MSI files for VS.Net 2K2 and 2K3. Appears a tad bit small? I have not tested the usefulness of the claimed dynamic integration of the O'Reilly Help files along with MS Help during coding process within VS. It appears that this is the initial product enhancement from this publisher. I wonder if an annotatable PDF file of the book would be more useful; at least this would be in a separate window. This tome was read at a local library.

At a local SQL Server Users Group meeting, a new technology that will embellish on the DataGrid and Forms was discussed and demoed. It is the forthcoming SQL Server 2K Reporting Services that will be a low/no cost add-on for SQL 2000 Server and authoring with a Visual Studio.Net 2003 download. It currently is in beta and will be released in 4Q03. It appears to be XML based and production reports can be rendered for browser, printer, PDF, and TIFF output. What a seemingly great idea.

Overall, this detailed 469-page reference on the DotNet Forms API appears needed for the programmer, although this is probably duplicates what's available on a MSDN subscription CD somewhere. The appendix includes another 69-page API term cross-reference and a 23-page index.

This was the 3rd or 4th WinForms book I purchased. The others were good, but they were lacking in detail. This book does a great job in explaing 'under the cover' details. The authors do a good job explaining DataBinding, Controls, GDI+, Form, Menus, Inheritace and much more.

This is more than a resource book. The first half is devoted to getting you up and running with building WinForms apps. The 2nd half is an incredible reference, one I turn to almost daily.

If you plan to use or are using .NET WinForm, please, do yourself a big favor, buy this book and leave it on your desk.

Everybody knows you have put the customer first. It has become one of those business clichés, like "cutting edge technology" or "thinking outside the box" or "the customer is always right." But what does it really mean in terms of product development? How, exactly, do you move beyond lip service (oops, there's another cliché!) and really put the customer first? Read this book and you'll know the answer. New Product Blueprinting takes a pretty complicated subject and boils it down to a series of how-tos that are invaluable to any manufacturer who has to make things his customers will want to buy. I highly recommend it.
Adam Prestwood
Pampco, Inc.

Having worked in sales all my life, I've always known that what sets a company apart is its ability to partner with customers to help them solve their problems. Adams puts a different slant on the process. He starts out by explaining that you don't try to sell customers your products, nor do you start out by solving their problems for them. (I suspect most of us have been bitten by a prospect that took the solution you developed for them and gave it to someone else to execute...ouch!) Instead, you use a methodical, proven approach to probe customers about their desired outcomes. As Adams writes, "After these outcomes are understood and quantitatively prioritized, there is plenty of time for the supplier to privately develop solutions and build an intellectual property hedge around them." (I liked that phrase so much I went back and looked it up.) This is a good book for anyone who wants to find good customers, make them happy, and keep them coming back for more.
Patrick Hendren
SMC Corporation of America

I own a company that makes custom cutting tools for the woodworking and solid surface industries. As such, I am no stranger to innovation. But Dan Adams takes the concept to a whole new level in New Product Blueprinting. He does a brilliant job of explaining how to get inside the customer's mind and uncover what he or she really wants and needs. Adams lays out a step-by-step interview process that not only sets you up for great product design, it endears you to the prospect or customer. This author recognizes something very important: it's all about trust. Even if you're the best company for the job, if you don't come across as caring and respectful, all the expertise in the world won't matter. If your livelihood depends on new product development--and in this economy, I think that pretty much covers everyone in the manufacturing world--do yourself a favor and read this book.

Anthony DeHart
DeHart Tooling Components, Inc.

If your company sells products to other companies, this is a must-read.

Adams turns much of the traditional voice-of-the-customer conventional wisdom on its head. He makes a compelling case that your business customers are much different than end-consumers; they're highly trained, are not as easily manipulated by Madison Avenue, are fewer in number and so on. And if so, then using 30-year-old consumer-goods VOC techniques is sub-optimizing.

He lays a groundwork of new-to-the-world principles for business-to-business product development. The book isn't long--just over 200 pages--and I would like to have heard just a bit more of how he developed his theory (although the book is well footnoted). On the other hand, it has great "idea-density" and seems to be designed for reading by the busy executive. Many readers will like the fact that about half of the book is devoted to practical hands-on tips that a marketing person could begin applying right away.

The authors give a full account of this historical trial. I had no background knowledge of the Nuremberg Trial, and I found this book easy to read as well as complete and detailed enough. I would complement it with Nuremberg's Diary, by Gilbert, to get a deeper insight of the defendants personalities. Although I can't compare this book with the others available on the subject, I would certainly recommend it as an excellent choice.

I first became familiar with the Tusas' study in 1985 while covering Argentina's "mini-Nuremberg" trial of the three military juntas that ruled in Buenos Aires from 1976 to 1982 for Newsweek and the Washington Post.

It is a wonderfully written, comprehensive study, really the best I have read on the subject either before or after. I recommend it without hesitation for all those interested in the trial itself, its effects on international law, or anyone who is just trying to make sense out of the murky period in which we now live.


Martin Edwin Andersen
Churchton, Maryland

This book is well written and informative. If your goal is to know about the Nuremberg Trial, or if you're a lawyer studying issues that arise in conducting international tribunals, you'll enjoy this book and it'll be five stars for you! If you're looking for an exciting book on WWII or the aftermath of that war, you'll probably be a bit bored with portions of this book and at best think it's worth three stars.

Best parts of the book deal with the opening and closing statements at the trial, testimony and cross examination of Goering, Speer, etc, the deliberations of the judges, the verdict and subesquent executions, including the mystery of how Goering got the cyanide the night he was to be hanged in order to commit suicide.

What might bore you if you're not a lawyer is the international law stuff, so I'll give the book four stars.

This book must be the best account of the Nuremberg trial out there. OK, I'll admit I haven't read all the other accounts, but this one gives all the information any interested person needs to know about the trial without getting mired in needless detail. Plus it's written in narrative style and the Tusa's personal observations are side splittingly funny at times (Hard to imagine for such a serious topic, but they do it)

The book begins before the actual trial and details the discussions that the four powers had about the trial - what the scope of it would be, which countries would be represented, what the charges would be, who would fund it etc... The actual pre-trial preparation was such a mammoth task and this book helps the reader appreciate the difficulties facing the judges, lawyers and administrative staff.

After this introduction, we get a view of the prosecution and defence teams and the judges. The Tusas have done an excellent job by bringing us behind the scenes of the actual trail and getting us up close and personal with the 'stars' at the trial. They help us understand where the judges are coming from and how the different systems make it difficult for them to agree on certain aspects of the trial - very accessible to those who aren't lawyers.

What is the more interesting part of this book is the character studies of the various defendants. The Tusas have succeeded in making these men come alive. I was reminded of the movie Nuremburg with Alec Baldwin when I read the description of Goering and Speer. (Incidentally that would be an excellent movie to watch after reading this book.). The cases against these men are explained both from the prosecution and the defence side. Heavy sarcasm lightens the mood especially when some of the heinous crimes are described; it is amazing the blatant lies that some of these 'leaders' told when faced with their crimes.

There is a short section on the case against Organizations; the SS, SA, Gestapo etc... which is followed by the verdicts and the executions. I think that this book is fairly unbiased and factual (there are references at the end of each chapter and it's from the BBC J ) I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the second world war and especially the part that the Germans played in it.

This account was writt6en in 1994 and covers the story of the murder of Medgar Evers up to the time when Byron de la Beckwith was convicted. The author makes the trial seem like a slam dunk so far as the law was concerned, but a perusal of the Mississippi Supreme Coutt opinions show that there were real legal problems in bringing him to trial so long after the murder. The citation for the case is 707 So. 2nd 547. The conviction was affirmed by a four to 2 vote with 3 justices not participating. Nossiter tells the story from a number of angles and it is simply absorbing reading. And since the book ends with justice triumphant it is a most satisfying book, showing that some things do eventually turn out right.

I concur with the previous reviewer. Mr. Nossiter has produced a well-researched and fascinating chronicle of the case of Medgar Evers, including a detailed and chilling portrait of his assassin. Nossiter also effectively re-creates the eerie atmosphere of early 1960's Mississippi, where the Klan, the White Citizens' Council, and the Sovereignty Commission flourished, and where a man like Beckwith would become a sort of folk hero to his fellow racists. However, it is also a story of dogged determination and the quest for justice, as exemplified by Myrlie Evers and Bobby DeLaughter, whose efforts culminated in the long-overdue conviction of Beckwith. It is a story of tragedy and triumph, skillfully crafted by a talented and deeply insightful writer. Well done, Mr. Nossiter!

First, my reviewer credentials for this book. I was born in MS and lived there through the 60's. If one wants to get a real understanding of the expereience of Mississppi in the that time,
read Nossiter's book. It covers far more than just the Beckwith trial, though that part of the book in and of itself makes for a fascinating read. This is an outstanding book on so many levels.
This was truly one of those books that I sort of hoped would just never end.

Forget the Movie. This is the book to read about the assisination of Medgar Evers and the subsequent retrial some 30 years later of the killer.

The author provides a moving and engrossing story as well as sharp analysis of the social conditions and personalities involved.

Dr. Wright's presentation of the nation's first national debt is both engrossing and informative. Perhaps it is his background as an historian, but regardless, his presentation of economics is straightforward and makes for a good read from the layperson's point of view.

Wright shows Alexander Hamilton as the genius that he truly was. While critics of Hamilton tend to focus on his behind-the-scenes machinations during the 1800 election, Wright allows Hamilton's financial wizardry (which should be this founder's true legacy) to shine. Indeed, Hamilton grasped that a national debt and the eventual assumption of states' debts was necessary not only for the new nation to survive practically, but to maintain its international public credit.

I would recommend reading this book in concert with John Miller's biography on Alexander Hamilton, Portrait in Paradox. Both authors show that Hamilton was well ahead of his time.

The chapters read easily, with an early focus on the Dutch and English international finance models of the early and late 18th century. The chapter entitled "Life," which concentrates on a few individual Virgina debt holders, is also engrossing. Wright spotlights the stories of a few individual patriots to show that these debtholders were just as vital to the nation, with their willingness to take a chance on the early United States, as was both France and Holland in their initial financing of the War of Independence.

All in all, a great read.

Dr. Dennis Edwards
Associate Professor of Economics

Anyone intersted in US history will enjoy this book, it was an easy read on what I thought would be a complicated subject.

The author keeps the subject interesting by mixing the "big picture" of international finance with political skullduggery at home and shines more light on the much maligned Alexander Hamilton's role in safeguarding America's first years.

This book provides rare insight into the financial foundations of the US economy. Supporting data, trends, and documentation add additional color to this thoughtful commentary on early american economic history. This obviously knowledgeable author writes in a very readeable style. The book was fantastically insightful.

Why do governments go into debt ? How do they pay for it ? Is that debt a good thing or a bad thing; that is to say, is a national debt a blessing or a curse ? Just what was the breakdown and nature of America's first national debt ? These are just some of the questions answered in Robert Wright's latest work.
It would not be bad bet to wager that few of us in the United States know how and why we incurred our first national debt. Maybe more importantly, even fewer of us probably realize just how much there is to contrast between now and then. Just after the adoption of our Constitution, our debt became, under the care and genius of a young Alexander Hamilton, a relatively temporary and useful tool for putting the credit of the United States on solid footing with Europe; while simultaneously serving as a a positive example to our merchants and businessmen, on whom so much of our finances were dependent. Today, our debt would appear to be nothing more than something for career politicans to continually run up for the sake of votes. Indeed, in today's modern American Nanny State, our so-called care takers seem to have no thought to paying the debt down, nevermind off. A far cry from some 200 years ago ! In Robert Wright's new book, such unfortunate differencees between now and then become all too clear.
There is even something for the more socially minded Historian in Wright's breakdown of those who were our nation's very first creditors. He sheds light on just who these first true patriots were.
In sum, this is a well written book on a very important subject matter.

Bob Wright's tenth book proves once again his keen ability to link our economic history to present trends. In these times of economic instability, one owes it to oneself to become educated. This does not mean education in regard to the current and near future "guesses" of what may come financially, but more importantly on how we have arrived here.
A must read. Regards... Michael W. Vasta