Adams Books

Faith Ralston's new book "Play Your Best Hand," expertly tells on how leaders, managers, and career professionals everywhere can maximize the use of their own talents and the talents of the people they supervise. It's a nifty, slightly undersized book designed to resemble a guide to playing poker. If you ever wanted to understand how to make it in the is world, here is the ultimate playbook!

Play Your Best Hand is a breakthrough book for anyone who leads a team of knowledge workers. The author clearly articulates what these new breed of workers want and don't want from their leaders. This knowledge alone is invaluable.

Ralston also shatters old management paradigms focused on improving weaknesses. Instead she gives compelling advice and practical guidance to leaders on how they can best leverage their teams' and employees' natural talents.

According to Ralston, there are four basic talent types:
- Diamonds are the innovators who challenge the status quo and see opportunities.
- Hearts are the motivators who gain commitment, build trust & resolve conflicts.
- Clubs are the activators who get things going, set up systems and initiate change.
- Spades are the implementors who manage/improve processes and handle the details.

Other key points covered in Play Your Best Hand include: 1) Each talent has its "flip side" when overused. 2) There are natural conflicts inherent between certain talent types and 3) Organizations need ALL talent types to be successful.

This book is filled with ideas on how to maximize your employees' strengths, deal with talent differences, address performance issues and create a winning team. Best of all, Ralston knows she's writing for busy leaders so she nets it out in her very easy-to-read, conversational style.

Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies

Play Your Best Hand is a tremendous resource whether you're planning your first career, climbing the corporate ladder, leading a team, or growing your entrepreneurial business. If you have lost track of your talent or maybe never quite knew it in the first place, you'll be back on track within a few pages, ready to turn your strengths into productive and fulfilling action! Faith Ralston has put together a book that I'll go back to many times.

This three-part series is remarkable in it's scope and depth. It shows the parallel development of radical Islamic forces and neo-conservatives and goes into the fascinating and chilling details that show how the neo-conservatives actually fueled terrorism and oppressed citizens (well over 600 in America and Britain) with false charges. This is very well-researched, it is definitely not an opinion piece. There are many clips from interviews of insiders as well as plenty of footage from news events and speeches. This directly addresses many myths, from how Russia fell (with neocons and Islamic fundamentalists taking credit for it), to how charges against citizens (including many people in the middle east) were trumped up in a fear-driven witch-hunt. It ends with how blatantly people are being arrested because they might commit a crime, and the consequences of this approach to society. If all you've seen is American news, this will be like finding out that Santa Claus doesn't exist. There is abundant information to show that most of the terrorist threat is a fabrication. The part about neo-cons believing CIA propaganda even after CIA TOLD them it was false was shocking.

The DVD of the Power of Nightmares was recently released.

The Power of Nightmares by Adam Curtis


This is a great documentary, recommended to anyone interested in getting a grasp of today's world.

This is essential viewing for all Americans . It lays bare the myth of a so-called war on terror. Pieces of this have made the rounds on the web and in the internet archive and its release officially by the BBC is long overdue. What American journalism should have been doing from 2001 on.

This book is an outstanding reference for the primary care pediatrician in office practice. It is much better oriented to day-to-day pediatrics than Nelson's and its imitators. The CD-ROM is very useful and easy to navigate. As a bonus, the CD-ROM contains all of the excellent illustrations for Zitelli & Davis' superb Atlas of Pediatric Physical Diagnosis.

This book is an outstanding reference for the primary care pediatrician in office practice. It is much better oriented to day-to-day pediatrics than Nelson's and its imitators. The CD-ROM is very useful and easy to navigate. As a bonus, the CD-ROM contains all of the excellent illustrations for Zitelli & Davis' superb Atlas of Pediatric Physical Diagnosis.

This book was a great reference in residency and now in practice

Part One is called The Princes Are In Peril; here the author examines the spiritual crisis in the West. People live longer, healthier lives and enjoy greater material wealth than ever before. Obviously prosperity is not enough since negatives like stress disorders and divorce are widespread. Many people are perpetually medicated. The missing element is purpose/meaning; people try to obtain it through financial prosperity or other external means of recognition. It is also expressed vicariously through imagined heroes like celebrities in sport, music and film. The author claims that human beings have an inherent desire to be heroic. This book is about true heroism; what it is and how to pursue it. Genuine heroism is within reach of all and its attributes include doing what is good, living with dignity, helping others, controlling our passions and choosing to do the right rather than the popular thing.

The Good Book provides a model for two kinds of hero: Adam as public hero who is to dominate the earth and Adam as private hero who is commanded to nurture it. The Bible offers us the alternative to Homer's classical superhero in works like the Iliad and Odyssey. The biblical hero seeks righteousness rather than recognition, virtue instead of victory, and moral courage over mortal conquest. The classical hero uses force, subdues others, and seeks the adulation of the masses plus material rewards as well as glory and fame. These desires are all born of insecurity; it's a game of win and lose. The needs of the classical hero that permeate today's celebrity culture erode self-esteem. In contrast, the biblical hero does not seek personal glory and performs unsung acts of heroism. Examples are Moses and the firefighters of 9/11. This hero has a strong consciousness of the Godly nature. S/he knows that people are inherently valuable and worthy of love simply because we are made in the image of God.

Excellent insights emerge from the chapter on the Machiavellian view. Be very wary of the false perception that "nice guys finish last." Sometimes it may appear to be true, as also reflected in the saying "no good deed goes unpunished." Choosing right action does seem to harm us in some cases by creating circumstances in which people take advantage of us. But the author shows how Machiavelli missed the point. The most important things will always be God, family and friends. One's aim ought to be a struggle for goodness, not material success. Goodness is definitely not the opposite of material success anyway but a psychological necessity, not easy to achieve and demanding constant effort. It is a process of unceasing inspiration rather than a goal to be reached. A further point of vital importance is that personal imperfection is no impediment to making this choice! If one has a weakness, that is no excuse for an "anything goes" attitude; hypocrisy remains the tribute that vice pays to virtue. Fallibility makes our determination more inspiring; it is through the unending struggle to choose the good that heroism emerges. The fact that this kind of person, the biblical hero, often appears serene is because s/he has accepted this struggle as part of life.

But often it is hard to know what the right choice is in a given situation. In this regard, the author surveys various systems designed to show the way, including the promise of reward in an afterlife, the Ten Commandments, utilitarianism, natural selection, secular humanism and personal morality. Observing that religion itself is no guarantee against evil and sometimes even the carrier, he concludes that the blueprint for goodness is available in the Bible, in the example of Biblical heroes. Briefly defined, goodness is the act of conferring dignity upon others.

Part Two is titled The Path to Biblical Heroism. The dictionary definition of hero is "a god, warrior or idol." Clearly this refers to the classical hero or celebrity. The biblical hero is quite different; s/he aims to preserve and enhance life and give it to others by granting them dignity, and is constantly monitoring his/her own behavior. The most important things are honoring one's parents, forgiving freely, serving a higher purpose, casting off egotism through self-restraint and fighting evil.

Boteach points out that pacifism permits evil to flourish. Those who refuse to oppose monsters like Hitler, Stalin, Milosevic, Saddam, Arafat, Bin Laden, Nasrallah and Ahmadinejad are not good people. In some cases it may simply be ignorance, but pacifism is neither pious nor holy as it denies the concept of justice and even demonstrates contempt for it. Indifference in the presence of evil is wicked. We must rally our forces and do everything we can to combat it. This truth is of particular significance today as we witness the resurgence of antisemitism and a Zeitgeist turning ever more nihilistic. How many times must history repeat itself before people realize that they have a responsibility to oppose such evil, since neither they nor their children are immune to its destructive effects? As the old song goes: "What comes to one must come to us all."

The author has a talent for dressing common sense in refreshing new gear as he deals with the importance of relationships, gratitude, trust, telling the truth, and of choosing love over justice. Behaviors with lasting positive results include assisting others, mentoring someone, finding joy in the everyday, getting rid of the lust for glory and being a hero to your children rather than to the world. Ultimately biblical heroism gives us all the freedom we need, as well as the peace that comes with it. I was reading The Thirteen Petalled Rose by Adin Steinsaltz - a profoundly esoteric work - at the same time, and the synchronicities were truly remarkable. Steinsaltz writes on mysticism, a subject for which human language is notoriously inadequate, but time after time Boteach came to the rescue with his clear and commonsensical analyses of issues that encompass psychology, morals, ethics, relationships and spirituality. If I had a minister with the insight and communication skills of Rabbi Boteach I would certainly attend church regularly instead of just practicing my religion in private.

In part one: The Princes Are In Peril, the author discusses the spiritual crisis in the West. We live longer, healthier lives and enjoy greater prosperity than ever before. Obviously material abundance is not enough since negatives like stress disorders and divorce are widespread. Many people are perpetually medicated. The missing element is purpose/meaning; people try to attain it by financial prosperity or other external means of recognition. It is also expressed vicariously through imagined heroes like celebrities in sport, music and film. The author claims that human beings have an inherent desire to be heroic. This book is about true heroism; what it is and how to pursue it. Genuine heroism is within reach of all and its attributes include doing what is good, living with dignity, helping others, controlling our passions and choosing to do the right rather than the popular thing.

The Good Book provides a model for two kinds of hero: Adam as public hero who is to dominate the earth and Adam as private hero who is commanded to nurture it. The Bible offers us the alternative to Homer's classical superhero in works like the Iliad and Odyssey. The biblical hero seeks righteousness rather than recognition, virtue instead of victory, and moral courage over mortal conquest. The classical hero uses force, subdues others, and seeks the adulation of the masses plus material rewards as well as glory and fame. These desires are all born of insecurity. It's a game of win and lose. The needs of the classical hero, unfortunately permeating today's celebrity culture, erode self-esteem. In contrast, the biblical hero does not seek personal glory and performs unsung acts of heroism. Examples are Moses and the firefighters of 9/11. This hero has a strong consciousness of the Godly nature. S/he knows that people are inherently valuable and worthy of love simply because we are made in the image of God.

Excellent insights emerge from the chapter on the Machiavellian view. Be very wary of the false perception that "nice guys finish last." At times it may appear to be thus, as also reflected in the saying "no good deed goes unpunished." Choosing right action does seem to harm us in some cases by creating circumstances in which people take advantage of us. But the author shows how Machiavelli missed the point. The most important things will always be God, family and friends. One's aim ought to be a struggle for goodness, not material success. Goodness is definitely not the opposite of material success anyway but a psychological necessity, not easy to achieve and demanding constant effort. It is a process of unceasing inspiration rather than a goal to be reached. A further point of vital importance is that personal imperfection is no impediment to making this choice! If one has a weakness, that is no excuse for an "anything goes" attitude; hypocrisy remains the tribute that vice pays to virtue. Fallibility makes our determination more inspiring; it is through the unending struggle to choose the good that heroism emerges. The fact that this kind of person, the biblical hero, often appears serene is because s/he has recognized and accepted this struggle as part of life.

But often it is hard to know what the right choice is in a given situation. In this regard, the author surveys various systems designed to show the way, including the promise of reward in an afterlife, the Ten Commandments, utilitarianism, natural selection, secular humanism and personal morality. Observing that religion itself is no guarantee against evil and sometimes even the carrier, he concludes that the blueprint for goodness is available in the Bible, in the example of Biblical heroes. Briefly defined, goodness is the act of conferring dignity upon others.

The second part is titled The Path to Biblical Heroism. The dictionary definition of hero is "a god, warrior or idol." Clearly this refers to the classical hero or celebrity. The biblical hero is quite different; s/he aims to preserve and enhance life and give it to others by granting them dignity, and is constantly monitoring his/her own behavior. The most important things are honoring one's parents, forgiving freely, serving a higher purpose, casting off egotism through self-restraint, and fighting evil.

Boteach points out that pacifism permits evil to flourish. Those who refuse to oppose monsters like Hitler, Stalin, Milosevic, Saddam, Arafat, Bin Laden, Nasrallah and Ahmadinejad are not good people. In some cases it may simply be ignorance, but pacifism is neither pious nor holy as it denies the concept of justice and even demonstrates contempt for it. Indifference in the presence of evil is wicked. We must rally our forces and do everything we can to combat it. This truth is of particular significance today as we witness the resurgence of antisemitism and a Zeitgeist turning ever more nihilistic. How many times must history repeat itself before people realize that they have a responsibility to oppose such evil, since neither they nor their children are immune to its destructive effects? As the old song goes: "What comes to one must come to us all."

The author has a talent for dressing common sense in refreshing new gear as he deals with the importance of relationships, gratitude, trust, telling the truth, and of choosing love over justice. Behaviors with lasting positive results include assisting others, mentoring someone, finding joy in the everyday, getting rid of the lust for glory and being a hero to your children rather than to the world. Ultimately biblical heroism gives us all the freedom we need, as well as the peace that comes with it. I was reading The Thirteen Petalled Rose by Adin Steinsaltz - a profoundly esoteric work - at the same time, and the synchronicities were truly remarkable. Steinsaltz writes on mysticism, a subject for which human language is notoriously inadequate, but time after time Boteach came to the rescue with his clear and commonsensical analyses of issues that encompass psychology, morals, ethics, relationships and spirituality. If I had a minister with the insight and communication skills of Rabbi Boteach I would certainly attend church regularly instead of just practicing my religion in private.

This book is a life changing book. After reading this book, you will want to read ALL of Boteach's books. His writing style is contemporary and easy to digest. Read this book to find out the true meaning of being a superhero.

I receipt the book very quikly and in excelent conditios of use, as a new book.

I'm a graduate student now and my field is creep and shrinkage of concrete.with those books which written by Prof.Neville,I've begun my graduate study and made some progress.These books are really a big help to me

This was the recommended textbook for my undergraduate program in civil engineering in Pakistan for the course titled, guess what "Properties of Concrete". I am now a practising water and wastewater engineer, and my main focus is not concrete. However, I have very good memories of the ease with which I could follow the text even at the undergraduate level, and also how the book was comprehensive enough to give almost all the answers as far as I was concerned. Excellent book, and very well written.

Can anyone believe that this author is 14!? True enough. I met him just a few months before his book was published and was asked to illustrate his cover. I jumped at the opportunity.

This book is incredibly inspirational. Just holding it in your hands will make you feel like anything is possible. If you've ever wanted to write a book and never got to it, get Dakotah Skye's book and read it. It will make you realize anything is possible when you just keep truckin along. Not only that...but this book is GOOD! I wanted to be Marn by the end of this book. Very cool!

Great characters - magicians, dragons, demons inside heads, dark lords, kings and undeads... Great battle scenes. This was a really fun read. It was fun to know the author was 14 when he wrote it. I related to it more that way.

Even though the author of this book is a teenager I was so impressed with his imagination and ability to put it into words, I would reccommend this book to young and old alike. Dakotah has a bright future ahead of him and I admire this young man's desire to be something we all hold inside and he let it out! Keep it up young man!

i can't put a value on how much my dad enjoyed answering these
questions and how grateful i am to be able to do this and
have this info. i wish everybody could ask these questions
while they're able to get the answers. getting this info.
and sharing this intimacy with a parent is priceless.
these questions would be great for mom, too.

I decided to buy this book and email my dad who lives 3,000 miles away what I called "The Question of the Day" and get to know him better. I wrote his responses inside the book for my kids to read one day. He was so open to the emails and looked forward to getting them everyday. I even turned it around and answered some of the questions that I could so that he could get to know me better too! I got married at 20 and moved away from home and now that I am in my late 30's I felt that it was important to get to know my dad who has always been a bit reserved and I think found it easier to email his answers to me than to actually talk about them. Becuase of this book, I do feel closer to my dad! Try it, some of the answers will surprise you too!

I originally got this for my fiancee since he was going to Iraq in a few months. His son is 6 and to give him the peace of mind. Well now I am sending this book to my father. You could also use this for your Mom or anyone in your family! A great way to add to your history and relationships!!

There is a lot more info on the Quiller series at www.quiller.net, a fan site.

This is my fourth of the Quiller series and I loved it! There is a plot to kill Gorbachev and destroy any chance at unification in Germany. Quiller is called in by the KGB to help find the very powerful opposition. As usual, you get a full view of Quiller's thoughts and conversations he has with himself while running a dangerous mission. His field back up is not the usual Ferris, but a 'well mannered' Director named Cone, who tries in vain to assist Quiller but remains at attention if needed. The plot twists around and teems with suspense, even though you know how it will end...

It was a bit hard to get into the first little bit but it took offand went out of sight. You never knew what was coming next. Hall is amaster at letting the reader think exactly what Quiller is thinking and planning. Simply marvelous.

There was always the view of the busy harbor-ocean liners,freighters,tugs and barges.In the hot summer months there was always a breeze on the open deck. During heavy fogs there were close calls-making the trip a real adventure. This authenic book brought back good memories of my days commuting on the railroad ferries of the Hudson.The many rare photos and the short histories of the ferry operators add to the local color, and increase the value of this book.

There was always the view of the busy harbor-ocean liners,freighters,tugs and barges.In the hot summer months there was always a breeze on the open deck. During heavy fogs there were close calls-making the trip a real adventure. This authenic book brought back good memories of my days commuting on the railroad ferries of the Hudson.The many rare photos and the short histories of the ferry operators add to the local color, and increase the value of this book.

co-author raymond baxter's authentic deckhand stories blend well with the historic photos and brief histories of the railroad ferry companies. dispatching of the chambers street boats had been "dumped" somewhere over the years on the gatemen. Once the rush hour ferry Youngstown left two minutes earlier than the scheduled 5:28PM departure. As a result a large number of angry commuters missed their Erie suburban commuter trains out of Jersey City. Many interesting stories abound. The photos of the ferries and the deckhand stories enabled me to relive my years of New York commuting by train and boat. Fordham University Press deserves praise for this book.

As a father of two and one more on the way, no one has tried out more parenting books than me. Most are either dry and technical or easy to read, but lacking in useful information. This book has it all. Its full of great stories, but is also authoritative and informative. When you're done you'll have a lifetime of experience and be ready to tackle anything your kids (or future kids) can come up with.

This book is wonderfully accessible and fun to read. I found that even when I loaned it out to friends who aren't parents, they enjoyed it as much as I did. Trish Magee has a wonderful way of sharing readable and enlightening stories in a way that shows that she truly cares about a child's soul. What makes this book so refreshing is that it does not try to make a list of all the parenting tips available. This is more a book about how to nurture your child and make your relationship more rewarding for both the parent and the child. I can read about how to baby-proof my home elsewhere! This book is truly an invaluable resource.

Trish Magee really has it right. Parenting is an equal combination of education and emotioal committment starting on the first day of life, This book has great lessons for parents that impact on children's lives, If you purchase one parenting book this year, make it this one.