Cross Books

This is a great book. Our granddaughter loves the pictures and I loved the broad spectrum of information it provided to her

As with all the other DK Eyewitness books, "Dance" has its music program crammed with information. The Eyewitness writers and editors fill all spaces on each page, designing each with photos, illustrations, general text, item text, and enough white space to prevent the viewer from getting lost in overwhelm.

Topics in "Dance" are logically ordered from the question What is Dance?, learning to dance, ballet class, accompaniments, keeping time, themes and messages, then we get to the heart of dance: the story. Other topics included set design, behind-the-scenes workers, all integral to the story.

How to carry the story through dance is explained in more pages: beauty of the body, makeup, costumes, footwear, and masks. Each of these is detailed in two-page spreads. The history of dance takes eight pages. Dance as a part of community--public dances of various kinds, dance crazes.

Of course, a book about dance must include famous dancers and choreographers.

If you are interested in dance and would like a good introduction, look no further. If you child is interested, this is a great start. I think interest level might begin at age nine or ten.

Overall, "Dance" is a great book to own, to open again and again to learn a new piece of information about the great art of dance.

Yet one more welcome entry for young readers by Eyewitness Books. One of my Amazon friends reviewed this book, and I felt that I needed to read it myself. Having done so, I heartily recommend this for younger readers interested in dance.

The volume begins by defining dance as (Page 8): ". . .a series of movements performed in patterns and set to an accompaniment. Every human society practices dance, which may be performed solo, in couples, or in groups." The book, at a somewhat later point, notes that dance may have larger impacts (Page 18), ". . .being used to bring people together, by reinforcing their shared beliefs about their place in the world or celebrating their relationship with the supernatural." In addition, dance tells stories.

Later, this book examines a variety of subjects, including beauty and strength, footwear, costume, dance and community, famous dancers (including such exemplars as Astaire and Rogers, Pavlova, Graham, Nijinsky), choreography (with some mention of Balanchine and Cunningham), dance crazes (remember the twist?), and so on. As always, many subjects considered.

Thus, if you want to introduce youngsters to dance, you could do a lot worse than giving them this book.

DK eyewitness books are some of the greatest non-fiction books around. The distinctive white background and high-quality photography gives this book an edge over any other nonfiction picture book. And -- these pictures are real! They're beautiful photos of all things related to dancing, accompanied by informative captions and text.

Learn about many different styles of dance, costumes and shows, performers, and many other dance-related topics (all augmented by beautiful museum-quality photos).

If you know someone (young or old) who is fascinated dancing, then you must introduce them to this book! It's a great lesson about dancing, and a beautiful book.

This book is excellent for the education of all types of dance. The pictures are colorful, the information is accurate, and it keeps the readers attention. It covers a variety of dances, and goes into detail about costumes and shoes. It is a good book for those interested in the art of dance, and dances from around the world.

In ancient Greece, dance was seen as a gift. Dance is simply a series of movements performed in patterns and set to music. Every human society has some form of dance. It is a way to pass on history, exercise and express yourself in a way words can't.

In this colorful guide, the magic and beauty of dance is shown in step-by-step sequences and full-color photographs. The costumes are spectacular and children can see the costumes, learn the stories of the great classical ballets and discover why Javanese dancers "flow like water."

Dances include:

Ballet
Tonga - poetry interpreted in dance in the Pacific Island of Tonga
Flamenco - Spanish
Ghost Dance - Native American
Morris Dance - England
Gharata Natya - Classic Indian Dance (if you enjoy this - watch Lagaan)
Orissi, Eastern India - originally performed by temple dancers
Georgian Ballet - the costumes are amazing!
Modern Ballet
Ballroom Dancing
and many more...

There is a section on footwear and they show how a ballet shoe is made. They explain the process of creating costumes all the way from the drawings to the finished product. Makeup and set design is briefly discussed.

A section on famous dancers and choreography shows what it takes. Finally, they discuss dance crazes through time.

A trip around the world in dance!

~The Rebecca Review

I really like the book from Gillian Cross. It sound scary when the demond hemaster is speaking. I like the part when he kept taking Deaina's blood with a neadle. And I also like the bit when Deaina got to school late and when the demond headmaster hyipnotize the children taking off his glasses. And when Havey likes Diana & Lloyd. And Havey lies and said he's going to the toilets but he looks in the hall and Ian saw him. I like the older children take diana to the headmasters office and she kept asking qustions.

The book is good and you should buy it people. The deamond head master is bad when he hipnotisses the children, but I like it alot so buy it people out there and I like the bit when the deamond head master digs the pin into her finger.And I like the bit when the boys take their combs and brush their hair at the same time. And it is sad when the girl go's to soshoul services. And it is sad when her mum died.

The Demon Headmaster is a very gripping book. The T.V series has also brought a little bit of life into theseries of books by Gillian Cross. Overall, the epic tales of the Demon Headmaster and his plots and trickery to get hold of Dinah Hunter dipict a whole world of imaginative text in a sort of realistic realism. The book is a great oppurtunity for children of all ages to establish a truly great reading experience. I would recommend this book to all ages, especially the older teenage readers who like to get into a bit of sci-fi/adventure genre. By Ravindran Uthayakumar

This book should be on the desk of every marketing and human resources manager involved in foreign trade. It is not only for larger companies that have already built a global sales network. It is also for beginners who should consider these cross-cultural factors BEFORE they start selling their goods and services in overseas markets. John R. Jagoe, Director, Export Institute.

This is an excellent book for learning more about managing multicultural organisations. Already in its second edition after being first published in 1995, it has improved. The COM or Cultural Orientation Model integrates all the cultural dimensions of famous authors Hofstede, Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars, Stewart and Bennett/Rhinesmith, Kluckhohn and Strondtbeck/Hall and Edwart Hall into a cartwheel.

Though the authors are very much pro-convergence (even claiming in Chapter 1 that Global harmonization of consumer buying preferences will dominate certain industry-goods and services-sectors.) as to Globalization they manage to build up a comprehensive argument about the high role of culture in the process of organizational globalization.

Busy international managers could find the approach of breaking the complexities of cultural differences into value orientations a bit theoretical in the absence of case examples and critical incidents. There are some good case studies in chapter 4:A Survey of Cultural Patterns but there are too few of them in the whole book. In fact more of these would have helped in getting a vital point accross that cultural boundaries are not national boundaries. For people involved in designing performance management systems and strategic planning in multicultural organisations this book is highly recommended reading. HR-practitioners in multicultural organizations would also benefit from reading this book.

Recently I wrote a book about multinational management published in 1968. After finishing this book, I realized that the conflicts between multicultural and multinational difference are stands still under the similar managerial circumstance, though we are living in the digital-dominated world. So I studied this book compared with its' phenomenon as described in "International Management". Keeping a flexible communication skill in multinational-cultural is the key factor to achieve meaningful outcome. For this, the open-minded, instructive and far-sighted personality required first. When they acknowledged difference not wrong each other, they can start to talk about what they want for negotiation, next proceed to persuade or yield a little. This means the more internationalized people there as a matchmaker, the more the company benefited from them. Then how to get Mr. Right for global manager? They all born naturally? Or trained? Both are all right. Person who has got global brain with digital management skill (as Mr. Bill Gatz called) must appeal to adapt extreme change and more action to cope with international risky problem. They could continue to get or lose by trial and error and learned what's the best, step by step and case by case. There are no standard learning system to teach them. That's not the lost rather than investment for human resources for each company ultimately. If you are would-be-global manager or second-rate reginal manager or have a dream of international manager, read this book and write down and analyze what's your strong/weak point more carefully. Then take into action to the first-rate global manager. If anyone who is in a top-management read, they can set effective multinational goal to come and get. How about students or average person? Of course, they will be fine.

As with marriage, the success rate for global deal-making should give the wise investor pause. Most such mergers and acquisitions do not increase shareholder value. Even with the fallout from the burst bubble still landing all over the place, the juggernaut of globalization is such that international deals still manage to engender a lot of passion; it seems the grass is always greener on the other side of the border. Business leaders know that sometimes the riskiest move is the one they decide not to make, since a good strategic acquisition can ensure your company's survival. For these reasons, interest in cross-border transactions will probably remain strong, as industries consolidate and as global economic barriers collapse. However, deals that involve foreign accounting and legal practices can be absolutely perilous without expert professional guidance. This clearly written, thorough compilation can help you avoid making a bad decision and improve your odds of success. We from getAbstract strongly recommend it to anyone involved in (or considering getting involved in) global deal making.

Doing mergers and acquisitons that create value for shareholders is harder than ever. It is even more difficult to do this in a multi-national environment. The compelxities of tax, accounting, securities laws and the regulatory differences add enormous complexities to the already huge challenges of just getting the stragegy right and executing it!!

This handbook, Due Dilignece for Global Deal Making, dramatically increases the odds of doing a deal better. Many experts believe that deals are made or broken in the due diligence phase. That is is where you figure out how much to pay, and the valuation is totally dependent on what you find out and what questions you ask.

This book covers it all from strategic imperative to tax rules. It also has an excellent chapter on my own area of expertise, people and organizational fit. I found the section on beginning to evaluate the fit of the corporate cultures particularly helpful. We think the success of true mergers are highly influenced by the cultural fit.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone practicing in this area, regardless of their area of expertise, as it gives them context for all of the other important, areas.

Due Diligence for Global Deal Making is one of the most enlightening and comprehensive books of its kind. Editor and contributor Arthur Rosenbloom has identified a group of thoughtful, experienced due diligence practitioners who describe the process from seven different points of view. The process is covered both from an in-bound and an out-bound standpoint. Despite the diversity of perspectives, the book maintains a consistent style and voice and refrains from undue repetition.

Each of the seven substantive chapters looks at a business using a slightly different lens: strategic, operational, financial and accounting, legal, tax, organizational and, oddly but perhaps most interestingly, the Internet. Scattered through the chapter are cautionary tales of what can go wrong in the real world if the practitioner or the client cuts corners. At the end of each chapter is a series of charts and lists which sets forth the subjects of investigation, often with indications of where to find the information or how it is important to the evaluation of the target.

For anyone who has to conduct, supervise or coordinate due diligence, this overview is remarkably helpful. For the young attorney, accountant or business strategist, Due Diligence provides a veritable Bible for his or her own due diligence. But more importantly, the book informs the reader how the information gleaned fits into the overall process.

Rosenbloom's brief but enlightening look at the due diligence world post 9/11 is among the most compelling parts of the book. This section alone can be worth the price of the book. The possible effects of terrorism or war on a business, in concrete terms, or on the material adverse change or force majeure clauses of a contract are sobering and helpful.

Describing due diligence from seven points of view and then domestic and foreign aspects on top of that is a tall order. This informative book is a remarkable, and even entertaining accomplishment...

This book contains one of the many stories about the legendary King Arthur. In this story, the young king and his knights get shipwrecked on an island where Arthur befriends a dwarf and a giant.

One of the great things about this book is that it teaches the young reader to look past physical differences and see the "person" on the inside. For instance, when King Arthur and the giant first meet and become friends, the giant helps King Arthur by providing him with a place to sleep for the night and food to eat. Likewise, King Arthur sees strength and potential in the giant when he asks him to drag his ship out to sea in return for his and his father's voyage to England. Especially remarkable is the fact that there is not violence in the book; no battles and no killings.

Because of the large amount of text, this picture book will go far in developing the reading skills of younger children. Unfortunately, there might be (at least for some) a little too much detail in the text. This may tend to bore younger and more inexperinced reader. Also, some parents (or teachers) may be alarmed by the picture of a unicorn nursing a human baby.

Overall, this book would serve well as a good picture book for children who are at the age where they need to start developing their reading skills more. It's fairly long for a picture book, and reading it in one sitting may present a challenge to younger readers. However, it is for this reason that this book develops better reading skills.

This is a great alternative to the many King Arthur stories that include lots of violence. It is nice to see another side of the legend, and the story of the young giant being suckled by a unicorn is fascinating. This is LONG, but for kids who are fans of knights and castles, it is not to be missed.

In this book, King Arthur and his knights sailed through a storm and got stranded on an island. King Arthur set out to find someone to help them get their boat off of the sandbar. He found a dwarf in a tall tower, his son who was a giant, and a unicorn. I liked this book because there were many surprises. The tiny dwarf had a giant for a son, and the unicorn was a hero. I would recommend this book to kids who liked the movie "Quest for Camelot."

4 Years ago I picked up this book due to a recommendation. I read it again 1 year ago, and am again reading it. It's the finest writing on living in NEWNESS OF LIFE (i.e. SANCTIFICATION). Knowing that we "died with Christ" at baptism and were simultaneously "born again," the author constantly reminds us, as Paul did, to put to death our weapons of unrighteousness. Easy to read, easy to understand, yet still difficult to apply. You will never regret purchasing this book.

This Christian classic stands in the spiritual tradition of works by e.g. Madame Guyon, Gerhard Tersteegen, William Law, Andrew Murray, Bishop Moule, Oswald Chambers, Jessie Penn-Lewis, T. Austin-Sparks or F.J. Huegel.

It was the French priest, Lacordaire, who said that the Church was "born crucified". By this he meant that all the members of the Divine Head, the members of the Body of Christ, died IN and WITH the last Adam, when He laid down His life on Calvary.

By relating the cross of Christ to the life of the individual believer, L.E. Maxwell shows how an understanding of our identification with Christ in His death and resurrection can lead to a life of better relationships, fruitfulness and personal victory over the powers of darkness. If, through the years, the Cross in the life of the believer had been adhered to as strenously as the Cross for salvation, the Church today would not be so plagued with modernistic infidelity. We little dream how we are suffering from what has been termed a "decapitated gospel". This book reminds the believer that, from the moment he is saved, he is so related to the Cross of Jesus Christ, that, if he henceforth fails to live BY the cross (in spiritual apprehension on a daily basis), he is an utter ethical contradiction to himself, to the spiritual and physical world and to his position as an "enthroned Christian" in Christ, the Risen One.

The cross of Jesus Christ definitely is THE key to all situations. If we lose THAT key, we miss the road not only in reading and comprehending the Bible, we then miss the road in the whole of our life.

L.E. Maxwell's book was first issued as "Born Crucified," and as such, he pointed out the important principles of Christian faith and life. In this book, it appears that he's expanded on it, or a little additional information has been added.

This is a phenomenal read, and I believe to be required reading for the Christian who means business with God. There's such a goldmine of truth in this little book, and chapters devoted to how the Cross of Christ is to be applied to our lives, by faith, and lived out accordingly.

If there was ever a book to be read for such a time as this, it would have to be this book. I could only find one copy of this title at a local Christian book store, among so many other topics which pale in comparison. If possible, I'd place it in every Christian's hands and if applied, there'd be an explosion of faith and practice in the land.

A great read, and highly recommended!!!

This work by Metropolitan John Zizioulas is breath-taking in its ability to re-orient one's outlook towards the early church and by consequence, today's church. A few facts he demonstrates:

1) Paul's letters were written to be received and read in Eucharistic liturgies, and reading them outside that context impairs one's ability to understand them correctly.

2) The Bishop was the primary celebrant of the Eucharist during the first three centuries, and priests were typically simply co-celebrates with him.

3) The "parish" is a later construct of the Church, and its evolution muddied the clear connection between the Bishop and the Eucharist in the Church.

Zizioulas does an admirable job of making these points as well as others related to them. His writing is clear, non-polemical, and well-sourced. Although it is a historical study, it is quite applicable to today's Church, and all members of the apostolic Churches - Catholic and Orthodox - would do well to read this book to understand the inter-connection between the Eucharist, bishops and the Church.

Like the other reviewer I found this book to be very informative regarding the nature of ecclesiastical communion and the self-understanding (if such a reflective process even existed I have my doubts) of the Church in the early centuries. While ecclesiology as such is not strictly speaking a subject of dogma, since The Father Son and Spirit are the center, it is useful in an age when there is such misunderstanding and confusion about ecclesiology on the part of many Protestants, Roman Catholics and Orthodox.

Zizioulas, one of the world's leading ecclesiologists, demonstrates that the notion of Church centers around the interrelationship of Eucharist, Bishop, and Laity. Not positing authority in the power of the bishop, nor even in the people, but in the place of Christ's presence- the bread and wine as partaken of by the people of God. The total Christ, Head and Body, is manifested in the eucharistic celebration, given catholicity a qualitative and not a quantitative meaning. This raises the question, "does the Eucharist make the Church or vice versa?" It seems that Zizioulas would say both, but with the particular emphasis upon the former. Church qua Church only dangles off the mouth of the Father. It is always done unto, to use the phrase of Fr. Tarazi (which is why it is not its own object of study). But the context for this dangling is, according to Zizioulas, most manifest in the liturgy. So ultimately the notions of bishop, laity, eucharist are all interdependent. None exist without the other and they are continually in reference to one another.

Eucharistic ecclesiology has weaknesses when the attempt is made to make it cover too many bases, but it does seem to be the primal orientation of the early centuries and has received a wide resurgence in both East and West under such notables as Zizioulas, Afanasief, Meyendorff, de Lubac...

Other books of interest would include Zizioulas' masterpiece, "Being as Communion", which is, in my view, one of the best books to be read about any sphere of theology, "The Eucharist Makes the Church" by McPartlan (a comparison of Zizioulas and Henri de Lubac), "For the Life of the World" by Schmemann, and Werner Elert's classic study "Eucharist and Church Fellowship in the First Four Centuries". Enjoy!

Ut Unum Sint.

Zizioulas asks what Paul meant when he talks about "coming together as a church". And what does he mean by "church in the household"? Zizioulas points out that "there was one activity of the Church which never took place outside Christian homes: the celebration of the Eucharist" (p 51). He argues that the celebration of the Eucharist, along with the guidance of the bishops, that formed the heart of the early church.

The church was characterized as the "body of Christ", a phrase which can be understood only in the context of the Eucharist, and a phrase which was never used in either rabbinic or Gnostic sources.

In connection with this argument, Zizioulas has an interesting section the word "catholic". The letters of Ignatius (about 110 AD) are the first place the word is found in reference to Christianity. Famously, Ignatius wrote: "Wherever the Bishop appears, there let the multitude of the people be, just as wherever Christ Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church" (letter to the Smyreans).

By the time of Polycarp the phrase "the Catholic Church throughout the whole world" was used. And, as the early Christians were under threat, not only by persecution but by a variety of heresies, orthodoxy became synonymous with the bishops and the Eucharist.

Anyone interested in early Christianity will certainly want to read this.
One complaint: there is no index!

In Exploring The Gaps: Vital Links Between Trade, Environment And Culture, James Lee (director of the Trade Environment Database Project) focuses on the interrelationship and mutual influences and impacts between economic, ecological, and social factors. The rapid pace of globalization is seemingly outstripping human abilities to absorb the changes imposed by telecommunication, commerce, and resource exploitation. Very highly recommended and informative reading for students of environment issues, international trade, and cross-cultural studies, Exploring The Gaps features contemporary cases (including examples of endangered species) to underscore the dilemmas within environments and cultures. The reader will also be offered a strategy and approach for meeting the challenges that continued globalization presents.

Exploring the Gaps, really does in itself fill the gaps between the current electronic age, and this global society that we live in, while giving us the historical context for the interconnectivity of these separate elements. This dynamic analysis brings in various points that should be considered in this age.

While many might suspect it to be purely academic, everyone from the dot-com manager to the international businessman will benefit from this book. International Trade, and Electronic Trade are not mutually exclusive terms anymore. This book makes that clearer than ever.

The historical perspectives offered here confirm that this process started ages before the "dot-com age". This historical context is invaluable. This is as much a history book as it is a book about the present and the future. There aren't many works that marry economics, anthropology, sociology, history and geography in such a fascinating manner, with implications for today's e-world.

One recommendation would be to have a few more graphics, but when read in conjunction with the websites listed, this book really does come alive in a sense.

The globalization debate and discourse is richer for this book.

Exploring the Gaps, really does in itself fill the gaps between the current electronic age, and this global society that we live in, while giving us the historical context for the interconnectivity of these separate elements. This dynamic analysis brings in various points that should be considered in this age.

While many might suspect it to be purely academic, everyone from the dot-com manager to the international businessman will benefit from this book. International Trade, and Electronic Trade are not mutually exclusive terms anymore. This book makes that clearer than ever.

The historical perspectives offered here confirm that this process started ages before the "dot-com age". This historical context is invaluable. This is as much a history book as it is a book about the present and the future. There aren't many works that marry economics, anthropology, sociology, history and geography in such a fascinating manner, with implications for today's e-world.

One recommendation would be to have a few more graphics, but when read in conjunction with the websites listed, this book really does come alive in a sense.

The globalization debate and discourse ir richer for this book.

Hard to find but oh so worth it! Each essay is densely packed but kid-friendly and very engaging. Wonderful photography brings it all home. Interesting to parents too!

An excellent book for children AND adults. A lot of information in a nutshell. The pictures of families around the world are perfect and a good way for everyone to see how all families are basically similar. I also especially liked the mini-family trees from each country.

A must for any child. A must for any parent who strives to impart the knowledge of a larger world for their children.