Francis Books


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Francis Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Francis
Sex, Lies, and the Bible: How Human Sexual Behavior is Controlled Through the Corruption of the Bible
Published in Hardcover by Candid Press, a division of Diverse Publications (2007-01-31)
Author: Francis D. Ritter
List price: $24.95
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Average review score:

Broaden Your Scope and Free Yourself
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-23
This book should be read by anyone who feels shackled by their sexual feelings. After years of therapy, and many therapists telling me it was ok to feel or experience what I had sexually, I have never found such a comprehensive book to ultimately dismantle what for me was a strict Catholic "you're going to go to hell" upbringing. Therapy did help, but at a much slower pace, with the therapist giving be small bits of info here and there. Well, here it is all in one book. Mr. Ritter's book is way ahead of it's time and will one day be considered a must-read by anyone considering becoming a therapist and undoubtedly be used as a text book for all human sexuality classes in Universities and Colleges.

Catholic magazine's review
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-10
"Ritter argues that the Bible has been used throughout history to control and condemn a variety of sexual behaviors, from masturbation to bestiality, when in reality most were not forbidden in the Old Testament or by Jesus. "Sex, Lies and the Bible" makes a compelling case for governing sexual conduct with rules established through serious discussion rather than religious teaching."
Conscience
The Newsjournal of Catholic Opinion
Vol. XXVIII - No. 3 - Autumn 2007

An open, frank and new perspective on taboo subjects
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-07
One must read this book more than once to fully comprehend all that the author is trying to convey to the reader. The subject material turns many off at the first glance to some of the words on the book's jacket. However, those that have an open mind will find pages filled with well-researched facts and conclusions based thereon. One may not fully agree with everything that is written yet it is difficult to dismiss much of the evidence that comes directly from the bible. This book should be well accepted by anyone that realizes the bible cannot be taken as literally as we have been taught in church and other religious venues. It should be noted that while the author presents some very candid opinions on various sexual acts, he makes it quite clear that neither he nor any of his reasearch supports rape, child molestation/exploitation and the like. This book pushes into the light what society deems as subject matter best left not discussed. Why? These subjects should be discussed and examined. There is considerable censorship in much of what we are fed in school and the news. This censorship results in a certain "spin" on these taboo subjects. We are taught not to discuss them and to feel shame if we do. Why? As adults we should be able to discuss anything we so desire without fear or being cast as a deviant. One can easily see, after reading this book thoroughly, that the author is no deviant. Quite the opposite, actually. Throughout history, there have been people that have talked about subjects forbidden by the church or against the norm of society. Unfortunately, all too often, these people are silenced or painted as crazy, deviant or the like. In fact, though, many people are more scared of the truth than the lie and, as such, they are willing to live with not knowing the full facts. They are controlled. This book is one man's view of the facts. While undoubtedly offensive to some, this book is simply one man's harmless evaluation and opinions based on very real and "factual" statements from the bible and other sources. Whether you agree with the author's conclusions or not, you will certainly find this book to be well worth the time spent reading it.

A serious-minded exploration of heated debate subjects
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-07
Written by Francis D. "Frank" Ritter, CLI, Sex, Lies, and the Bible: How Human Sexual Behavior is Controlled Through the Corruption of the Bible is a strident denouncement of the use of the Bible to condemn and restrict human sexual behavior. Dubbing those who would use sacred texts to instruct others in what is and is not appropriate sexually as "controllers", Sex, Lies, and the Bible takes the stance that neither masturbation, incest, adultery, prostitution, homosexuality, nor bestiality are crimes prohibited by the Bible - that these acts were not denounced by the Old Testament, or in some cases, by Jesus Christ himself. It should be noted that despite the author's questioning of the taboos of incest and bestiality, Sex, Lies, and the Bible absolutely does not condone or justify any form of rape, and only defends consensual acts (in the case of animals, consent is implied by an animal's craving to mate, often seen during specific seasons for individual species). A serious-minded exploration of heated debate subjects, demanding that individuals justify their rules for governing sexual behavior properly and thoroughly, not just with the unthinking belief that they should behave in such a manner because the Bible says so.

Francis
The Shuttle
Published in Paperback by BookSurge Classics (2006-12-12)
Author: Francis H. Burnett
List price: $7.95
Used price: $5.95

Average review score:

The Shuttle
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-03
This was a fantastic book and a long one (I like that). I took it on a ski vacation and was tempted to take it to the slopes with me. I finally realized that was not a great idea but I could hardly wait to get back to my room, get comfortable, and begin reading again.

Rousingly Modern Topic
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-13
"The Shuttle* was written in the early 1900's, but it shows the brutality of spousal abuse--mental and physical--with no holds barred. Gentle Rosalie undergoes years of cruel emotional battering which is described with absolute psychological accuracy. It turns out that her sister Bettina is strong and determined enough to save both of them. Sir Nigel's end is satisfying, although it might have been even better if he'd fallen into the pigpen and been devoured by swine. This is a very early and powerful feminist novel as well as a skillfully written, entertaining page-turner.

An old-fashioned page turner
Helpful Votes: 15 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-10
The book is set in the 19th century, but the heroine, Bettina Vanderpoel of the filthy rich New York Vanderpoels, is no shrinking violet. That role is left to her older sister, sweet and not overly bright Rosalie. The story starts out with Rosalie being courted by and married to Sir Nigel Anstruthers, an impoverished English aristocrat on the make for a rich wife. Although she is only eight at the time, Betty hates Sir Nigel. Her instincts are on the money. Sir Nigel is a rotter, a blackguard, a cad, and a bounder. He is utterly infuriated that he did not automatically gain control of Rosalie's money when he married her. He and his equally appalling mother start a loathsome campaign of emotional abuse that gentle Rosalie is not equal to. Luckily, by chapter five it is 12 years later and Bettina has grown into a fine, strong-minded woman who has all the business sense that made the Vanderpoel fortune. The rest of the book tells us how she rescues her sister, her nephew, and the Anstruthers estate from Sir Nigel. The hero of the book is another impoverished aristocrat, but cut from genuinely noble cloth, even if most of his ancestors were of the Sir Nigel type.
Before the book is over, Bettina will be trapped, injured, and at the mercy of Sir Nigel, who has Perfectly Awful plans for the lovely lady. Will Bettina wring her hands helplessly and beg?
Don't be silly. Read and see how love, virtue, and justice triumph and Sir Nigel gets his.

A Wonderful ArtfullyTold Story!
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2005-02-08
I have a 1907 edition of this book that I love.. I've read it several times and each time I savour the language and the world that Frances Hodgeson Burnett described before the First World War: a world of English village streets with sound of carts clattering past hawthorn hedges and brash young American boys bicyling in buttonup boots and celluloid collars up the pleached alleys of country estates.
I think that the previous reviewer has unfortunetely missed much of the subtlety of the story, painting it in almost comicbook colours. It's "comfort reading" for adults who grew up making friends with Little Lord Fauntleroy and a Secret Garden. This is a novel that celebrates the goodness of people and cultures on both sides of the Atlantic in tender and funny ways that remind me of Lousia May Alcott's books and in the end, metes out justice in very satisfying ways. You might also want to see if you can find F H Burnett's "T. Tembarom" --which is, as her characters themselves might put it, a "bang-up" book as well.

Francis
The sport of Queens: The autobiography of Dick Francis
Published in Unknown Binding by Joseph (1974)
Author: Dick Francis
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Average review score:

Get to know the man behind the mysteries.
Helpful Votes: 11 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-24
Found this book in our library and was excited about learning more of Dick Francis. I did get lost at times when he wrote about the race courses, but it was a thrill to get to know him. It is not a mystery, but there are some questions he still does not know the answer to. He writes a book a year, and I could read 4 or 5 of his books a year if he could write them that fast! Nice read.

very informative on the sport
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 1998-10-20
This book is a must have for any Dick Francis or horse racing fan. This was the first book of his that i have read and now i have all of his so far. What i was looking for was a book to tell me about this little known sport. Now i know a great deal about it. I'm hoping for a newer version to tell about what has happened since the book waas written. I read the older 1950's or 1960's print with the pictures of Devon Loch in the Grand National. That was what most intrigued me about the story and what made him fall like that. Like i said this is an excellent book and very informative!

True insight into the man behind the works
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 1999-01-19
My passion for horses and horse racing was apparent even when I was a child. Dick Francis' books allowed me the experiences I dreamed of through his words. I learned more through his books than I could have anywhere else in the United States. It is said that truth is stranger than fiction, and Mr. Francis' autobiography is testimony to that! I now own a 5 year old (retired) Thoroughbred, and Mr. Francis' adventures are in my thoughts!

A must-read for Dick Francis fans.
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 1998-05-23
This book was originally written shortly after Francis' retirement from racing. It chronicles his life in detail up to that point (1957), and all fans of his mystery novels will enjoy seeing the germs of his books in the events of his life. I won't give the really surprising ones away here, but an example is the story in the autobiography of Francis' experience flying during WWII. Readers will understand where he got the knowledge to create several heroes who are pilots. The only reason I don't give this book a 10 is that it is very early Francis--his first book, as near as I can tell, and the quality of the writing as a bit uneven. The edition I read (1982) had no photos--a terrific disappointment, but there were apparently photos in other editions, as Francis refers to them once or twice in the text of the book. Try for a different year! The end of the book is an addendum bringing fans up to date on his life between 1957 and 1981; I've ordered the 1995 edition hoping for a little more added material. If you love horseracing or Dick Francis' books, read this!

Francis
Spring in Washington
Published in Paperback by Holiday House (1963-02)
Author: Louis J. Halle
List price: $1.25
Used price: $4.90

Average review score:

Rave Review
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-29
I orginally bought this book in 1988 and thought it a beautifully written book on not only bird watching but of a Washington that no longer exists due to modern highways and bustle. I recently purchased this book for a friend who is a bird watcher and has lived in DC. I hope he will like it as much as I do. Jenny Brake

A glorious and timeless exploration of the REAL news of D.C.
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-20
This is one of those rare books that lifts you out of your chair and brings you along on a soaring journey to the natural world beyond the government office windows. It is written as a daily journal of nature explorations in and around Washington, D.C. and makes a perfect companion for any watcher of spring. The author was a keen observer of natural life when he wrote the book in 1945, and the watchful naturalist today will find much to celebrate in the wildlife that is still here today, and also much to mourn that has been lost in the intervening decades. No more do we have rafts of mergansers resting in the Tidal Basin, but Dyke Marsh is still the place to see waterthrushes, and herons still stop by the ponds on the Mall. Halle's eloquent musings on the question of "What is important?" are still relevant today, as the press and government continue to occupy themselves with matters of man-made events and ignore the real news happening all around us--the news of the actual world going about its business completely unconcerned with scandal or finance. Swans still fly south over government office buildings, and anyone who notices and rejoices in such happenings will find a true friend in this marvelous book.

A classic book for the environmental library
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1996-12-15
This a book from another time which is still relevant to our day and age. The writer takes time from a boring desk job in wartime Washington to provide timeless observations about nature along the Potomac river as he experiences it in early morning bicycle rides. He indirectly puts man in his place and foretells many of the things environmentalists have rediscovered in the last 20 years. Highly recommended in general, but especially if you have any familiarity with the area around Washington, DC.

A love letter
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1999-03-04
Louis Halle reveals his soul in this evocative love letter to the stirrings of spring. Though set along Rock Creek and the Potomac River in and around Washington, this work will transport you away from this world into another time and place in which the sheer joy of seeing nature burst into color will overwhelm you. Close your eyes and have someone read this book to you and you will be able to smell the tidal waters and hear the wind in the marsh grass. Halle's book is pure pleasure.

Francis
Staying the Distance: A Novel
Published in Hardcover by Firebrand Books (1994-04)
Author: Franci McMahon
List price: $20.95
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Average review score:

Strong characters and exciting story
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-23
Strong characters and exciting story

The writing was excellent. It seemed so low key and natural and yet full of emotion. The characters were so strong and utterly endearing. It's not your typical romance and is quite heart dramatic.

The world of horse racing and the American West are not your typical story settings which made this an even more delightful story.

The writing was so excellent I found the author's other book and wish she would publish more.

from the publisher's web site - Grown-up lesbians have a novel about girls and horses they can call their own in this literate, ovable western set in the bis sky, "no whiners" country of Montana. Rander Racel Duncan and the new vet from back East, Dr. Margaret Carson, are as tough as the horses they ride.

Postive Flow of Energy
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2000-08-26
Franci McMahon has done a terrific job drawing believable characters and creating an intriguing story of suspense. The horses are simply beautiful--the author writes about them with such care that I, who never knew horses, gained an immense respect and admiration for them. There's a positive flow of energy that moves powerfully through the book--made me feel good about being lesbian, about loving one, about simply being alive. Wish there were more books like that. And movies. Wouldn't this make a great movie?

McMahon is the man!
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 1999-12-24
Franci McMahon does a great job of connecting the world of distance riding with the world of lesbians. And she does it in a way that a reader of any age and background could relate to one of the characters. The book is exciting and moving which makes the reading effortless. I love Franci McMahon.

Gals and Their Horses... What a Combo...
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-03
This book has a little bit of everything -- young gals and middle-aged women; bi-racial couples; straights and lesbians. It is a well-written story about women in horse country. It centers around Rachel Duncan, a straight woman rancher who has her sights set on winning a grueling horse race with her mare, Kestrel. Rachel has never know romance, but keeps her life busy and fulfilling with her horses.

In walks the town's new vetrinarian, a beautiful lesbian who isn't looking for love. In fact, she moved to the remote area to ensure she wouldn't run into "ms. right." A skeptical Rachel soon begins to trust this woman. That trust quickly turns into love.

Helping the story along is Rachel's young hired hand, Kate, who accidentally exposes her own lesbian relationship to her employer.

This book is well written, but I didn't find myself anxious to read the next page. I merely enjoyed the journey with the author and her characters. I recommend you read it then pass it along to friends to enjoy. It won't be a permanent addition to my personal collection.

Francis
Superstrings and Other Things: A Guide to Physics
Published in Paperback by Taylor & Francis (2001-10-01)
Author: Carlos I. Calle
List price: $35.95
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Average review score:

good reading
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-20
I really wish I'd had this book when I was struggling through my physics courses. The concepts are presented in a very clear and readable fashion, and I think the authors of most physics textbooks would benefit a great deal from reading this. It covers pretty much the same topics that are common to most first year general physics courses, and in many cases more. It is intended for the general reader and while there is some math, it should not be enough to scare anyone off. The author succeeds in making this an enjoyable book to read and learn from. In my case this has been a great choice as a refresher on the concepts of physics.

A very useful overview of physics
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-28
Written by a NASA scientist, this book tells the story of physics from the early Greeks to the present scientific discoveries. The basic concepts of physics are explained and illustrated with helpful diagrams and photographs. Newtonian and Galilean physics, the laws of thermodynamics and electromagnetism, relativity, quantum physics and even nuclear physics are all in this comprehensive book. Spending the time with this book will give you a head start toward understanding what constitutes the universe and how the universe works. There are wonderful anecdotes from the history of science and many interesting current applications of physics to every day life. Highly recommended.

A very useful overview of physics
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-28
Written by a NASA scientist, this book tells the story of physics from the early Greeks to the present scientific discoveries. The basic concepts of physics are explained and illustrated with helpful diagrams and photographs. Newtonian and Galilean physics, the laws of thermodynamics and electromagnetism, relativity, quantum physics and even nuclear physics are all in this comprehensive book. Spending the time with this book will give you a head start toward understanding what constitutes the universe and how the universe works. There are wonderful anecdotes from the history of science and many interesting current applications of physics to every day life. Highly recommended.

Great book to learn physics on your own
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-22
If you want to learn physics on your own, I would recommend this book. I did not take physics in high school or college and always sort of regreted it. I bought this book a couple of months ago and began to read it. The first chapter is wonderful. I did not enjoy the second chapter as much and would recommend skimming over it. From there on it's very informative. I particularly recommend the section on modern physics. It really allows you to make sense of the new science stuff that gets reported in The New York Times.

Some of the most interestings things about this book are the special notes that are included in all chapters with applications to everyday stuff. They bring what you are reading down to the practical level.

All in all, an excellent book. It's worth your effort.

Francis
Textual Poachers
Published in Kindle Edition by Taylor & Francis (2007-03-30)
Author: HENRY JENKINS
List price: $38.95
New price: $31.16

Average review score:

Excellent resource for fan fiction authors and fans
Helpful Votes: 17 out of 19 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-27
While dated, and slightly insular, this text is an excellent introduction to the sub-culture of fanzines and fan fiction. While many of the current generation of fans seem to believe fan fiction was born online around 1994, they should be surprised and hopefully pleased to discover the rich (off-line) history of the phenomenon, dating all the way back to the pulp magazines of the 1930s.

Still the best account of fan culture and fan use of texts
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2001-07-07
This is a gem of a book. Jenkins combines an "insider's" understanding of media fandom with serious, well-grounded scholarship to provide one of the few scholarly works on this subject which is not riddled with unacknowledged biases or factual errors (you know, the sort of misrepresentations of series content which suggest that the scholar didn't think enough of the subject matter or their fan informants to bother to get it right). As someone who was practically raised by classic "Star Trek" re-runs and who continues to find inspiration and healing in many science fiction TV programs -- and who hopes to continue to do scholarly research in this field -- I would hold Jenkins up as a model to other scholars. The major drawback of this volume is that it is now almost ten years old. There have been many wonderful series with growing fan cultures of their own (including the rise of such female heroes as "Xena" and "Buffy") since TEXTUAL POACHERS was written, but Jenkins provides a methodology and a model which can still help to interpret these more recent phenomena. Read this, and enjoy.

Outstanding Analysis of the Culture of Television Fandom
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-11
Culture studies has been one of the most provocative and controversial areas of investigation in the social sciences during the last score years or so. Using the tools of postmodern analysis of texts, and the deconstruction of ideas, institutions, and forms scholars have reshaped our understanding of everything from the mundane to subjects acknowledged by all as critical to our modern society. In this important book Henry Jenkins turns his considerable analytic skills on the role of television fans in adopting and making their own several important series and movies. Jenkins, on the faculty of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, writes both as a scholar and a fan fully immersed in the culture that produces conventions and a wide range of artistic products associated with television.

"Textual Poachers" emphasizes how fans of various television shows and movies have embraced the characters and "universe" of the shows and made them their own. In most cases they participate in the continuing saga of the characters of the story by fashioning their own narratives based on the series. Be far the most famous of these participatory series is "Star Trek," which was the first series to attract this type of fan following, and still the largest of all of them. It has spawned not only multi and varied clubs for those interested in the ideals of the series, but also inspired a range of creative responses in art, literature, costume, engineering, erotica, music, and drama. In so doing, those that are a part of the fan culture of the series emphasize the interplay of the crew "family" aboard the Star Ship Enterprise, the ideals of the United Federation of Planets, and the challenges of moving beyond the humdrum of existence on Earth to a more exciting and rewarding life within the broader cosmos. The ranges of responses are almost as broad as the number of people involved, and Henry Jackson makes clear that all of those responses are legitimate in the "universe" of fandom.

Jenkins writes at length about the responses of fans to several television programs beyond the famous "Star Trek" phenomenon. These include "Alien Nation" (1989-1990), "Dr. Who," (1963- ), "Magnum, P.I." (1980-1988); "The Man from Uncle" (1964-1968), "Remington Steele" (1982-1987), "Simon and Simon" (1981-1988), "Twin Peaks" (1990-1991), and others. But the series fans that Jenkins spends the most time analyzing are those attracted to "Beauty and the Beast" (1987-1990). The romance between Catherine (Linda Hamilton) and Vincent (Ron Perlman) captured the imagination of a larger number of viewers and they used that on-screen relationship as the cultural materials from which they created a vast array of "stories, songs, videos, and social interactions." It proved a powerful inspiration for enormously romantic depictions.

Henry Jenkins also draws attention to the fact that the vast majority of those a part of this fandom, are white, middle-class women seeking something more than they experience in their everyday lives. They seem drawn to television series with compelling characters interacting in a sophisticated manner. They emphasize relationships and tend to soft-pedal action and adventure in their formulations. At sum they seem to be creating through their efforts a place of refuge, acceptance, and intimacy for themselves and their co-participants. This is captured well in a song, "In My Weekend-Only World," written by T.J. Burnside Clapp to express her love of the fan conventions that she attends:
"In an hour of make-believe
In these warm convention halls
My mind is free to think
And feels so deeply
An intimacy never found
Inside their silent walls
In a year or more
Of what they call reality.

In my weekend-only world,
That they call make-believe,
Are those who share
The visions that I see.
In their real-time life
That they tell me is real,
The things they care about
Aren't real to me." (p. 277)

Henry Jenkins' study is a superb analysis that will change the perspective all who read it about the fan culture and its place in modern society. It is difficult not to emerge from reading this book without a sense of wonder about the talented individuals who are a part of this fan culture and how they seek to live their lives on their own terms, in the process creating for themselves idealized "universes" more like those they glimpsed in the television fictions that they embrace.

Dining at the Television Buffet
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 1999-12-05
Jenkins starts by dispelling the stereotype of the media fan as teenaged geek in Spock ears, and explores the very real and dynamic interactions between fans and their media. He has a clear understanding of the subject and a good relationship with the people whose culture he describes, as well as a readable and intelligent style of writing. The book is not only interesting but also fun to read.

Francis
This Day in Business History
Published in Hardcover by McGraw-Hill (2005-08-22)
Author: Francis L. Raymond
List price: $19.95
New price: $2.99
Used price: $1.32
Collectible price: $19.95

Average review score:

Bravo
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-18
This book is amazing..some things and exerpts you never knew existed..Raymond Francis..you have done your research!!! Atta Boy!!!!!

"Well I'll Be Dang"
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-11
I was impressed with the book...Mr. Ray Francis is a very intelligent man with a sense of humor and wisdom.

Where were you when I needed you?
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-22
I always found writing reports, in school, boring. I wish your book had of been in my library. I enjoyed the way you found humor in history. Not that you rewote history, you just made it fun to read about.

I am the author.
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-19
This book was a joy to write. When an editor first broached the idea of writing a day-by-day history of business to me, I was skeptical because I'd imagined the lives of business people to be as bland as the concrete of their offices, as bland as an economics textbook. But I was in for a wonderful surprise. Over the years of research that went into this book, I found the stories of notable executives and economists and companies to be jam-packed with courage, brilliance, humor, disaster, pathos, and triumph. For example, take the story of the great Southwest Airlines, which continues to this day to prosper through its humanistic and customer-oriented approach, while the flying dinosaurs of yesteryear continue to die off. Southwest is famous for being good to its customers and good to its workforce. The idea for a simple, inexpensive airlines was hatched one evening over drinks, and the original "magna carta" of the venture was sketched out literally on a cocktail napkin. The first five years of Southwest's existence, before any planes took to the air, was spent in expensive courtroom battles against the established airlines who tried to choke the infant enterprise. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were lost before a single ticket was purchased. The dinosaurs had cause to feel threatened. Herb Kelleher, the driving force behind Southwest, has called his light-hearted, people-oriented approach, "management by fooling around."

This book describes events from Roman times (when modern dating began)right up to Martha Stewart and Enron. You will notice that for each day I tried to include at least one humorous or mind-catching quotation that originated on that day, at least one story of how a major company came into being (with special attention to its earliest stages and to key executive decisions), and at least one of the milestones that define the march of commercial history. I hope that you find this march as interesting and enjoyable to read about as I did to discover and write about.

Francis
Tom Playfair: Or Making a Start
Published in Paperback by Tan Books & Publishers (2000-07)
Author: Francis J. Finn
List price: $9.00
New price: $3.99
Used price: $2.91

Average review score:

Something to read when entering youth
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-03
I read this book some 50 years ago, when I was leaving childhood. It helped me to imagine a healthy youth and to create dreams. It made me wish to become a Tom Playfair of my own. I lost track of Father Finn's books when I got married and left my parents' house; and all these years I have been looking for the trilogy (I wonder if there are more books) in this series. Now that I found and bought them at Amazon, I mean to read them again. It is a pity that it is now too late for my sons to enter their youths through this amazing gate of reading Father Finn's stories.

A Book for Girls, Too
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-04
Although this is not the best book Ive ever read(maybe because Im a girl) I still couldnt put it down. Tom's character traits are not the hasty outline of a real boy, but suggest in full detail a real,living, all-American boy. Harry, Tom's friend, is impressive, but not as well protrayed. However, "crazy Green" is, I think, the clearest and most real character in the book. He is a mean , boasting bully in the beginning, but as you read on, you begin to sympathize with him and at the part when he-Wait. I never tell the story of the book in my review, so BUY THIS BOOK!!!
Did I mention I'm Catholic? Well this book was written by a priest.
& I am catholic.

The best book in my youth
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2002-12-05
I've been looking for the re-print of this book for more than 20 years in spanish and finally it cames in English in US. These three books (with Percy Winn and Harry Dee) are the best I could read when I was 10 to 14 years old, but they still are excellent books for people of any age and gender. Tom, Percy, Harry, and many others are very real characters and readers of all ages could identify with them. Don't think it twice, buy all of them. And there is another new 4th book available also from Francis Finn, "Claude Lightfoot or How the Problem was Solved"

Off to a Great Start
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-15
Tom Playfair,or Making a Start, is probably one of the best books I've ever read. It is a book you start reading and suddenly your hooked,and you can't get away from it. It all happens when a little boy of ten or eleven is sent of to a boarding school called St. Maures. Mr. Playfair or Tom as he likes being called is suddenly one of the most popular kids of the small yard, but because he is not an "old boy" or since this is his first year, he still has one enemy. John Green, or Crazy Green, who is an "old boy" who's favorite thing to do is stand waiting at a doorway to trip new kids on the first day but when he comes to our little hero who had examined the case closely and just watched his friend Harry Quip also an "old boy" walk through the door unharmed. Bravely walked out through the door way, obviously Green tried to trip him, but Tom just kept going and stepped right on Green's foot. Another time Tom who was just warned by Harry that Green was going to put a sign on his back saying kick me I am a fool. Of course Tom had a plan, he and Harry headed down to the handball alley. Harry standing in front was supposed to pull out his hankerchief as a signal that Green's behind him. Harry gave Tom the signal and the plan was in action, Tom quickly asked Harry,"Talking of jumping, hows this," At this remark Tom gave a sharp kick backwards and hit Green so hard that he fell backwards to the ground. Tom turned and apoligized, then he picked up the paper that had dropped from Greens hands read it and asked Green well you got what you wanted, but are you truly a fool? That is all I will tell you about our little hero but, Tom also stars in the books Percy Wynn, or Making a Boy of Him, and Harry Dee, or Working it Out.

Francis
Virgin: The Mystery of Amos Virgin
Published in Paperback by Urly Media (2007-06-20)
Author: George Francis
List price: $19.95
New price: $11.88
Used price: $0.31

Average review score:

provocative human interaction
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-22
George Francis' provocative book, VIRGIN, is a sensual mystery story that focuses on interactions between one man and two women. It is a tribute to Francis that he is able to galvanize the reader's interest and take them completely by surprise at the end. The book has the ring of truth, and one can easily imagine the dialogue that thickens the plot and transfixes the reader. It is one of those tales that is hard to put down once started.

Stanley Krippner, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology
Saybrook Graduate School, San Francisco

Virgin: The Mystery of Amos Virgin
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-20
Virgin is a beautiful love story. Yes, it's racy, but "racy" fits the personality of the characters and their circumstances. From the very first chapter it shows what excellent writing skills Francis has. I tried savoring each chapter because I didn't want it to end. I must admit, I cried at the end. But there is closure; it was a good cry!

Marjorie Stampfl, editor (retired)

What a story!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-20
George Francis tells a story of a young man who is jailed for crimes he
did not commit, and is retold through the eyes of the Sheriff's
daughter, who falls in love with him. While it is a work of imagination,
the story is based on historical events. VIRGIN takes place at
the close of the 19th century, and can be viewed as a work of romantic
historical fiction. While I find the telling itself to be candid and
forthright, it's the moments of inner-reflection of the characters that
reveal the true heart of the author.

Kent Fillmore,
College Professor
Vancouver, Washington

Romance and Mystery in Monterey
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-19
George Francis takes us through the heart and soul of a complex character, whose intellectual and romantic exploits intersect with the early days of California's Monterey Peninsula. But then the promise of this brilliant and handsome young artist crashes to an unexpected conclusion. Francis introduces us to a plethora of interesting characters and exciting episodes. It's a tale with film potential.
David Donnelly, Ed.D.
McCall, Idaho


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