Grant Books

What a gorgeous book. I've recently become involved in hotglass work myself and picked this book up out of curiousity. Not only is the book full of beautiful pictures and prose but the author also allows us a peek into Paul's techniques, which for me, is incredibly helpful and well worth the price of the book.

Even though it made me late I had to stop and soak in every page from start to finish as soon as I got it in the mail. I think at just about every page a smiling, "Oh my god!" came bounding out of my lips in admiration for this man's extreme talent.

Most of my art books end up on my studio shelf, but this one is so gorgeous and such a joy to view I think I'm going to make it a permanent fixture on the coffee table.

You will not be able to stop the "oohs" and "aahs" . The artist has developed a style unlike anyone else and the photographs are so detail you feel like you have become part of the piece. A work of art in and of itself.

It is a book that every glass lover must have.

Filled with beautifully detailed photographs of Paul Stankard's paperweights as well as excellent closeups of the making of his flowers and other paperweight inclusions. It also includes an interesting background on Paul's career and philosophy, but the multitude of wonderful color photographs of his extraordinary work are what make this book truly special.

While I wouldn't consider myself a "paperweight" fan, I admire Paul Stankard's work immensely.

For so long I've wondered, "how does he accomplish such wonderful things?". This book cannot show his unique genius nor how his imagination works, but it does show just enough of his techniques to sate my never ending curiosity.

You can see how a thistle is built. There are gorgeous pictures of how a glass bee is build and attached to a honey comb. Here are the dragonflies, the orchids and those amazing root people!

The book is filled with full color pictures, and many wonderful detail views. In Paul Stankard's case, "God is in the details".

I admired Paul Stankard's work before I read this book. I admire his ability ever so much more now that I've seen the immesurable detail that goes into each piece.

I am Jael... and I'm so thrilled with the overwhelming success of my first book, _Perceptualistics_! This book, packaged and designed so beautifully by Paper Tiger, contains not only wonderful samples of my illustrative work through the last twenty years, but the "now discovered" Perceptualistic pieces, that I've been painting throughout my entire lifetime. I thank everyone who has supported this, my first publication, and encourage you to keep traveling within your mind. Dream your dreams of worlds and journeys that are real, but perhaps as yet unexplained. Nurturing, personal, comforting realms in which to retreat, are very much needed for us in this world today. Jael

"Perceptualisitics" is a magnificent gift to the reader. But beware, you "won't find a banana in the middle of each painting..."

That quote captures the essence of a Perceptualistic painting, if such an exercise is even possible. There is nothing literal about these paintings, and a casual observer, expecting to "see" a clearly defined image or a pictorial story in them will be challenged. And that, dear reader, is exactly why you should own this book and drink in the intoxicating visions it contains.

But let me segue for just a moment, for while the Perceptualistic paintings alone are an experience that will engage and enthrall you, there is so much more to this book that make it a compelling "must have."

It is eminently readable. John Grant's prose is both succinct and lyrical, and his biographical rendering of Jael invites one into her world in a way that is palpable and enjoyable. Rarely does one find oneself wanting to finish the text in an artbook before viewing the illustrations. Reading about Jael through Grant's eyes and ears made me want to know more. If there is a shortcoming here, it is because one finds onself wanting an even more intimate and extensive portrait of the artist.

Jael's paintings, regardless of the genre, are superb. Those seeking to view her Science Fiction and Fantasy illustrations will not be disappointed. Her work is among the best in the field and begs comparison to no one. Jael stands among the pantheon of "great ones" in the SF&F area.

However, dear reader, Jael stands alone with her Perceptualistic paintings, and she stands on a lofty plane indeed.

Each Perceptualistic painting beckons the viewer to explore. That exploration might be an inner vision, a transporting to another world or level of awareness, an opening to endless possibilities and insights. In a way, these paintings are gateways to perception, and that perception may change with every viewing. Can you think of any other artist who can offer you such a journey? I cannot.

I thank John Grant for his warm and vibrant words, obviously written with much caring. I thank Jael for this incredible gift to the public, and for opening her heart and her life, if only for a glimpse, to those of us who can only dream of such creativity.

Final thanks must go to the publishers, not so much for having the boldness to go beyond the trite and conventional nature of many "artbooks," but for recognizing creative genius and giving the world an opportunity to share in it.

Jael is a genius. Her genius comes from the heart, the dwelling place of all true genius, and that is a wondrous gift to us all.

Open your heart and prepare to expand your universe, dear reader, and buy this book!

As a former webmaster for the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists, I had the pleasure of working with Jael to produce one of ASFA's Chesley brochures. This led to my becoming her webmaster. Until that time I thought she was a very talented illustrator having only seen the images that she has painted for covers and interiors of science fiction and fantasy publications.

While putting together her webpage she introduced me to examples of artwork that were unlike anything I had seen with the SF/F genre. These images cannot be considered illustrations. They are more than that as they evoke emotions and thoughts that transcend the physical plane; transporting one into higher planes of existence and depicting mindscapes of such vast and incredible beauty that the mind finds itself at a loss for words. These vistas can not be described. They can only be experienced.

With the publication of this book everyone can now own reproductions of these of these pieces of 'Fine Art', painted by one of the finest artists alive today. A must own book for every collector.

I've been familiar with Jael's super illustrations for a long time, but nothing prepared me for this book of her work, which concentrates largely on her fine art -- fabulously imaginative paintings that have almost all never been seen in print before. It's nearly impossible to describe them, because they don't obey any of the inhibiting rules that other fantasy artists tend to adhere to. This is a real breakthrough book, and the kind you'll want to buy extra copies of to give to your most special friends. It's lovely!

This book may be your only chance to see an extraordinary body of work from fantasy and sf artist Jael. Well known for her bookcovers, Jael (who goes by only her first name), had been doing an series of personal works over the last 40 years while she fulfilled the demands of motherhood and a busy artistic career. Not abstracts, not realistic paintings either, she calls them "meditations" or "journeys". They are unlike any other major paintings done in the 20th century; and while this book is beautiful, it doesn't do the original works complete justice--I had the privilege of seeing a couple first-hand, and they are stunning. Since Jael considered these personal works and "too odd" for public consumption, she had never publicised them before or even kept good track of the occasional times when she would sell one of these amazing works. The reproductions on page 40 and 54 hint at the splendor of the originals, but many of the illustrations of the perceptualistics were re-created from small slides, though Jael herself worked to restore them to something close to the original. The text is also delighful, since Jael has had a long, interesting (and rather inspiring) life. My hope is that this book will inspire a sequel, and that some of the owners of the perceptualistics will come forward for new scans of the treasures they own.

If you are interested in this high challenging and highly satisfying skill of becoming a process consultant, read this book, by one of the biggest names in the PC universe...Edgar Schien. This book is a classic and all OD consultants should read it !

Process Consulting is not the typical consulting intervention where 20 somethings come into your organization, do a survey and hand over a thick report after collecting $ per hour !!

Process Consulting is both an art and craft performed by people who intervene in organization systems that are seen as 'human systems' and are sensitive in not inducing 'dependency' of the client. The delicate art is to intervene at the process level rather than the content level and extricate without creating much ripples. Most known consulting deals with 'content' consulting and therefore has more measurale outcomes than the supposedly soft process consulting.

Process consulting is truly empowering and the consultant is a traveller in the process of discovery with the client, constantly asking questions.

In this second volume, Schein builds on Volume I by dissecting the nature of process and change in lieu of the specific group processes that make or break effective group work. Likewise, in this volume, he brings the concept of process consultation home, so to speak, to help managers and leaders understand themselves and their organizations as a consultant might understand them.

Given that process consultation assumes that organizational leaders know their organizations best and are the most appropriate and capable managers of change, it makes sense that organizational leaders understand group processes. Schein emphasizes that diagnosing an organization's problems is intervening to fix them. He provides explanations of the circumstances when process consultation is most necessary. He advises leaders that more time must be spent intervening on how things get done than on what actually needs to get done. "An effective manager must be able to create situations that will ensure that good decisions are made, without making those decisions himself and without even knowing ahead of time what he might do if he had to make the decision alone." (p.39)

Schein provides a useful model for differentiating between the content, process, and structure of organizational challenges and the task and interpersonal aspects of those challenges. He advises that process should always be favored over content; that task aspects should always be favored over the interpersonal; and that structure, while potentially the most transformative element of change, is the most difficult area to address, because people will resist tampering with the comfort structure provides. He also provides explanations on the essential challenges relevant to content and process that every group must face. The lesson he offers for leaders and consultants is that whatever is done to solve a problem must begin with a clarification of the primary task of the group.

Schein devotes considerable space to explaining the ORJI model of intrapsychic processes. (We observe, we react - emotionally, we judge based on our observations and feelings, and we intervene to make something happen.) "The most important thing for managers or consultants to understand is what goes on inside their own heads." (p.63) The trap of ORJI is MIRI, i.e., that we misperceive, inappropriately react, react rationally based on bad data, and intervene incorrectly. To avoid the MIRI trap, we must check our cultural assumptions, our personal filters (see volume I), and our situational expectations based on previous experiences. Schein also provides a clear synthesis of the unfreezing, changing, refreezing model of change and improvement. In unfreezing, the motivation and readiness for change are developed; in changing, new points of view are adopted; and in refreezing, new points of view are integrated to affect changes in the process approaches to tasks.

Schein devotes most of the latter half of his book to explanations and analyses of intervention processes. He discusses the "exploratory", "diagnostic", "action alternative", and "confrontive" models of intervening, how they might initiated and when one might use each. "...The tactics of intervention should focus initially on exploration, inquiry, and diagnosis. Only when the consultant feels that the client is ready to think about alternative next steps is it appropriate to move to action alternatives and confrontive interventions." (p.157) Schein also provides specific kinds of interventions which might fall into any one of these four basic categories of intervention.

This volume, taken with the first, provide not only a clear theoretical framework for understanding organizational change, but also useful tools and approaches for pre-empting organizational roadblocks and addressing organizational dilemmas once they've appeared. These books are essential reading for any leader or consultant.

In this second volume, Schein builds on Volume I by dissecting the nature of process and change in lieu of the specific group processes that make or break effective group work. Likewise, in this volume, he brings the concept of process consultation home, so to speak, to help managers and leaders understand themselves and their organizations as a consultant might understand them.

Given that process consultation assumes that organizational leaders know their organizations best and are the most appropriate and capable managers of change, it makes sense that organizational leaders understand group processes. Schein emphasizes that diagnosing an organization's problems is intervening to fix them. He provides explanations of the circumstances when process consultation is most necessary. He advises leaders that more time must be spent intervening on how things get done than on what actually needs to get done. "An effective manager must be able to create situations that will ensure that good decisions are made, without making those decisions himself and without even knowing ahead of time what he might do if he had to make the decision alone." (p.39)

Schein provides a useful model for differentiating between the content, process, and structure of organizational challenges and the task and interpersonal aspects of those challenges. He advises that process should always be favored over content; that task aspects should always be favored over the interpersonal; and that structure, while potentially the most transformative element of change, is the most difficult area to address, because people will resist tampering with the comfort structure provides. He also provides explanations on the essential challenges relevant to content and process that every group must face. The lesson he offers for leaders and consultants is that whatever is done to solve a problem must begin with a clarification of the primary task of the group.

Schein devotes considerable space to explaining the ORJI model of intrapsychic processes. (We observe, we react - emotionally, we judge based on our observations and feelings, and we intervene to make something happen.) "The most important thing for managers or consultants to understand is what goes on inside their own heads." (p.63) The trap of ORJI is MIRI, i.e., that we misperceive, inappropriately react, react rationally based on bad data, and intervene incorrectly. To avoid the MIRI trap, we must check our cultural assumptions, our personal filters (see volume I), and our situational expectations based on previous experiences. Schein also provides a clear synthesis of the unfreezing, changing, refreezing model of change and improvement. In unfreezing, the motivation and readiness for change are developed; in changing, new points of view are adopted; and in refreezing, new points of view are integrated to affect changes in the process approaches to tasks.

Schein devotes most of the latter half of his book to explanations and analyses of intervention processes. He discusses the "exploratory", "diagnostic", "action alternative", and "confrontive" models of intervening, how they might initiated and when one might use each. "...The tactics of intervention should focus initially on exploration, inquiry, and diagnosis. Only when the consultant feels that the client is ready to think about alternative next steps is it appropriate to move to action alternatives and confrontive interventions." (p.157) Schein also provides specific kinds of interventions which might fall into any one of these four basic categories of intervention.

This volume, taken with the first, provide not only a clear theoretical framework for understanding organizational change, but also useful tools and approaches for pre-empting organizational roadblocks and addressing organizational dilemmas once they've appeared. These books are essential reading for any leader or consultant.

Edgar H. Schein is Professor of Management Emeritus in the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a real academic heavyweight having written numerous books, articles and papers. In 1969 he published 'Process Consultation: Its Role in Organizational Development', of which he states that he "was writing more in anger than with perspective". In this follow-up book he tried to explain and clarify the concept of consultation and helping which was outlined in the first volume. "The goals of this new book, then, are (1) to reaffirm the concept of process consultation as a viable model of how to work with human systems, (2) to clarify the concept were needed, and (3) to introduce some modifications and new ideas that elaborate on the original ideas."

The book is split up in 3 parts. In Part I - Introduction and Overview, which consists of three chapters, Schein introduces the common grounds of managers and consultants (which is the helping orientation), process consultation, and "the process" itself. He introduces a definition of process consultation which "is a set of activities on the part of the consultant that help the client to perceive, understand, and act upon the process events that occur in the client's environment." Whereby he emphasizes that the concept of process central is to understanding consultation and management. "Process refers to how things are done rather than what is done." He continues, "Process is everywhere. In order to help, intervene, and facilitate human problem solving, one must focus on communication and interpersonal processes."

In Part II - Simplifying Models of Human Processes, which also consists of three chapters, Schein examines several models of consultation and argues that the process-consultation model works for consultants as interveners and is potentially most useful for managers. "The most important thing for managers or consultants to understand is what goes on inside their own heads." He introduces the basic ORJI cycle, which is based on the fact that our nervous system observes (O), reacts (R), analyzes, processes, and make judgments (J), and intervenes in order to make something happen (I). He later updates this cycle into a more realistic depiction of the ORJI cycle, through the introduction of 4 traps. Schein than states that the cultural rules of interaction is possibly the most powerful determinant whether a viable helping relationship will be established. In the final chapter of this part, he examines in detail a simplified model of the change process: (1) Unfreezing; (2) changing; and (3) refreezing.

In the final part of the book - The Consulting Process in Action, which is also the longest part of the book with five chapters, the author examines in detail the strategy and tactics of intervention. "The most important point to be made about clients is that the consultant must always be clear who the client is at any given moment in time, and must distinguish clearly among contact, intermediate, primary, and ultimate client." Schein discusses what the consultant or manager can actually say or do to accomplish some of the goals of process consultation. "The strategy and tactics of intervention have to be guided by the ultimate assumptions underlying the helping process." In addition, he provides categories of types of interventions and discusses the possible dilemmas that can arise in the consultation processes. "The skill of intervening is to be so tuned in to what is going on that one's sense of timing and appropriateness is based on the external events, not one's internal assumptions or theories."

Yes, this is a good book on process consultation. I was somewhat concerned when I started reading this book, due to Schein's highly academical background. However, the book has been a revelation. It is highly practical and has good tips on which can be put in practical use. I believe that it useful for both consultants and managers, as the author set out from the start. I believe that the three parts can be read in any order, whereby the last part is possibly the most useful as it is the most practical. Please note that the writing style is now somewhat outdated and academical. Highly recommended to consultants and managers alike.

This volume and its follow-up, Volume II, are essential reading for consultants and anyone interesting in taking a leadership role in improving an organization. Schein devotes entire chapters to the key human processes in organizations: communication, roles, group problem-solving, group decision-making, leadership and authority, intergroup processes, and interventions. In each one, he not only explains what he has learned through years of study and experience, but also the most salient aspects of organizational theory relevant to each area.

Schein differentiates process consultation from other forms of consultation by first making clear the role of the process consultant, who is not an expert providing information or advice, but rather a coach who seeks to help a client understand and act on events, which happen in the client's organization. Consulting is helping the client to understand problems and to decide how to solve them. The consultant's role is to teach diagnostic and problem-solving skills, not to work on the actual problems.

Communication is a central group process critical for effective functioning of groups and organizations. The process-consultant can help a client understand the communication patterns in a group by assessing who talks whom and how much. Interruptions, who interrupts whom, how much and when can be useful information when attempting to diagnose an organization's shortcomings. Schein includes in this chapter an explanation of the filters, which inhibit or enhance an individual's capacity to communicate effectively. They are: self-image, the image of other people, the definition of the situation, motives, feelings, intentions, attitudes, and expectations. When groups come together to accomplish a goal, certain predictable tensions may undermine the groups ability to solve problems. Individuals in the group may be concerned with their own role in the group, their ability or expectation to influence the group, the need to have the group's goals connect with their own goals, or whether they will be accepted and respected in the group. Sometimes groups need assistance in identifying and processing these tensions before they can concern themselves with the necessary task and maintenance functions required to accomplish their task.

For groups to solve problems they must become good at problem formulation, evaluating solutions, forecasting consequences and testing proposals, action planning, implementing action steps, and evaluating outcomes. Schein offers sage advice for groups wishing to develop their capacity to improve: (1) Don't confuse the symptom with the problem itself (2) Don't evaluate courses of action prematurely - remain open (3) Test proposals using multiple sources and methods, and (4) Plan for action carefully and methodically. Schein offers clear explanations of various decision-making models, which are helpful for a consultant or leader to understand. Groups will function most effectively when the decision-making model is clear and understood. Often models are employed by default, which can alienate and undermine group members and subvert effective improvement efforts. A central failure of leadership is often the gap between what leaders say and how they behave. An effective leaders and process consultants need to become experts in this problem and its potential effects. Awareness of group processes will not only help the leader avoid interpersonal or intergroup problems, but it will also help solve them should they arise. Schein includes useful sets of Likert scales to rate group effectiveness and mature group processes; a model of the stages of group problem-solving; and a continuum of leadership behavior.

Schein's view of the process consultant as a capacity builder parallels his implicit view that organizational leaders need to understand and seek patterns of behavior that downplay coercion and expertise and emphasize participation and differentiated responsibility. This volume and its partner, despite their ages, are still relevant and useful to the leader or consultant.

This is one of the most remarkable and enticing biographies I've ever read. I am a professional biologist and have always wanted to be able to express my enthusiasm for my work in words than transcend the sterility of "modern" science and politics. This work does this and I could only hope to express my own work in such an elegant way. I think Carol Grant Gould has done an exceptional job. Despite the restictions imposed upon her, I am mystified how she managed to pierce the veil that clouds the achievements of many scientists behind veils of scientific and religious intolerance. A remarkable work.

Adventure travelers interested in both nature and action will relish biographer Carol Grant Gould's Remarkable Life Of William Beebe: Explorer And Naturalist, an armchair biography which tells of one William Beebe, who became the first to see the ocean depths in a bathysphere, trekked the Himalayas and Malaysia in the early 1900s to study ecology, and brainstormed with Roosevelt and other naturalists of his times. A remarkable life and a series of remarkable contributions comes vividly to life in this memorable, entertaining, and highly recommended biography.

This is a wonderful book - a really engrossing story about an amazing man who was both an explorer and a scientist during the last century. If they made a movie about him, he'd probably be styled as an Indiana Jones type character, as he really did look death in the eye a few times in his lifetime - particularly during the dives he made in `the bathysphere' off Bermuda in the 1930s (the bathysphere being a sort of cast iron bubble with tiny windows, which was winched off the side of a boat, and dropped down to a depth of half a mile underwater). But in my mind's eye Beebe was more like a David Niven sort of person, because as well as having a passionate interest in exploring the natural world, he was a really gifted writer, had an enormous sense of humour, and was quite dapper and a great believer in cocktails all round in the late afternoon! And when he wasn't travelling the world, he was feted in New York society circles by people like Katherine Hepburn, Noel Coward and Rudyard Kipling. The book is really enjoyable and easy to read, and quite inspiring too - transporting you back to a bygone age. And it has LOADS of pictures, which bring it to life all the more. Lovely - good antidote to grim winter weather!

I read the editorial review above for this book and almost didn't read it. I have to say I disagree with it. The biography does not necessarily focus on all his Beebe's personal issues, but it is a vibrant and gripping read about a very unique man. I thought it was extremely well done.

Born in the last quarter of the nineteenth century in Brooklyn, it was still a world of forests and wildlife nearby for him to explore. This love of nature, and comfort away from the trappings of civilisation stayed with him all his life. But he also had this almost supernatural ability to dissociate himself from his possible fate - or even his reality and instead go beyond that to look at what was happening around him. So his observations were extraodinary.

He was the first person to be travel down to 2000ft in the ocean in a small metal capsule. The enormous pressures could have caved in the tiny craft - it did even start leaking at some stage. Yet he broadcast live from it, and managed to make some ground breaking observations about his time there and the strange animals which dwelt there - some of which have never been seen since.

Gould has divided this biography into four distinct sections which followed his life, Naturalist, Ornithologist, Marine Biologist and Tropical Ecologist.

this is illustrated throughout with printed pictures on each page, the only drawback is that these pictures are all of poor to fair quality - a problem of matt paper combined with size of pictures and that they are all in black and white.

Beebe's life is worth reading about and I think Gould's biography is an excellent reference, readable and engaging.

William Beebe was at one time as famous as any naturalist can be, and justly so. Today, few have heard of him. It is no surprise that fame is fickle, and that a latter generation forgets the heroes of the former, but Beebe's is an extreme example. In _The Remarkable Life of William Beebe, Explorer and Naturalist_ (Island Press), Carol Grant Gould has given a full, big biography of one of the most amazing men who ever lived. Beebe worked in zoos. He took expeditions to identify and capture specimens from Indonesia, South America, and China. He broke records in deep sea diving in the bathysphere that was designed for him. He wrote two dozen books that were best sellers, widely appreciated by the public and by professional scientists who shared his realm of study. He was so famous that in the original play of _The Man Who Came to Dinner_, the hot-tempered protagonist receives an octopus shipped from Beebe, and audiences immediately understood the joke, as they do not, now, when they see the play in revival. If time has passed Beebe by, his influence is still substantial, and Gould has performed a useful service in bringing him back for us to wonder at.

Beebe was born in Brooklyn in 1877, when his neighborhood had wild woods that he could explore. He was a prodigy. Many kids set out to collect things, but the young Beebe kept snakes, learned taxidermy to keep snake and bird specimens, bought or traded for exotic specimens, and camped and hiked to get more. School was a breeze for him, but he loved being out in the field. In a final entry in an 1893 journal, he wrote, "To be a Naturalist is better than to be a King." The exuberance which this youthful manifesto exemplifies never left him. He became Assistant Curator of Birds at the new Bronx Zoological Park, but his career of exploring for the sake of discoveries in natural history took off when he left with his wife for an official exploit to Mexico. The press and public were enthusiastic about his account of the trip, the first of his bestsellers. Sometimes being a popularizer detracted from appreciation of his scientific work, but there was plenty of both. His voyages made him fascinated with sea life, and he became an adept diver, applying the same principles of studying a broad, three dimensional swath rather than individual inhabitants. In 1930, he and his engineer were "sealed in a spherical steel coffin and thrown into the ocean." Especially on initial dives, as the readings approached 800 feet, he had to be scared; he wrote, "Only dead men have sunk below this." Eventually, he was to broadcast his observations live from such a descent, a radio event that caused a sensation.

Beebe died in 1962, always grabbing as much of life and learning as he could. He was an entertaining friend, and among the visitors to these pages are Noël Coward, Gertrude Lawrence, Rebecca West, and especially Teddy Roosevelt. More important, he inspired biologists such as Rachel Carson, Ernst Mayr, and Edward O. Wilson. His emphasis on studying an ecosystem as a whole was original and vastly influential. Gould obviously admires his popular writings, many of which are quoted here, but shows that his scientific work is monumental. Calling his a remarkable life is indeed an understatement.

I thought that characterizing hope as a weed was thoughtful and apt. That comment came from a book that was written about fifteen years ago on the frightful history. Now we have a splendid cookbook where weeds of hope persist.

The book itself is a wide format with heavy paper that handles the photographs and the expansive pages well. This book is not made for the kitchen shelf. Rather it is for exposition and enjoyment of the ample text. So for the cook, the book is not efficiently organized. This book is for a reader who will put it to kitchen use at will.

If you had to classify the book, you would call it middle-eastern. But Lebanon is highly developed on its own terms including their history of contact with many cultures. Chard, crisp-fried onion, lemon and all sorts of pickles and preserves await your inspection.

Try your hand at the yogurt cheese and be impressed with your results. Make Dijon feta dressing.

Beyond Lebanon, there is Syria, which has the oldest yeast cultures known. Damascus is the oldest continually inhabited city. I was heartened to see that Armenia is included because we forget how they were almost exterminated even before the word "genocide" was coined.

So with all the bounty, there persists the bitter twinge. Read, cook and grow.

WOW, being from the region and living in the US, this book took me back to all the great places in Lebanon and Syria to eat! Having the recepies too made it even all the more mouthwatering.

The photography put me right there in the middle of it all too.

Even if you never have been or are not sure about going. I highly recommend this book.

K

This book is a treat! The author shares so many wonderful descriptions of delightful details about the place and the food. The photographs add a lot of interest and last, but certainly not least... wonderful recipes... it has the personal touch.

This book was great, some traditional recipes, and some not so traditional twists on them as well. The one thing that bothered me was the chapter on breads. They talk and talk of Arabic Bread in the chapter, yet there is no recipe for it in the book..., anywhere. Still worth the purchase though, lots of good info and background history.

Excellent for chef's. Easy to follow, and great results. So far I have used five recipes, and all have had great results.

Williams obstetrics is a very distinguished textbook of obstetrics, and enlightens and guides the physician. Every new edition is more breathtaking than the previous one, I can't wait to have it on a CD or better, a PDA..
Kadin Dogum uzmanlik dalinin en onde gelen kitaplarindan olan Williams Obstetri kitabi, her kadin dogum uzmaninin sahip olmasi gereken gercek bir bilgi hazinesi...

This is a true study guide and will help not only in preparation for exams but will help understanding the textbook better.

This is the most comprehensive obstetrics text that you can find, Whether you are in training as a residnet or practising OB. Excellent Reference text. Well laid out with detailed index.
Excellent!no need to buy anotehr Ob text.

There is perhaps no medical specialty that has more misconceptions, "wives tales" and variation than Obstetrics. Williams Obstetrics is more exhaustively comprehensive than any other text for general Obstetrics. Williams has long prided itself on presenting "evidence-based medicine" - separating the wives tales from medical knowledge obtained from published studies from peer-reviewed journals. Perhaps there are those who prefer their Obstetrics with a little voodoo. For those who want to know the most up-to-date scientifically based Obstetrics, Williams is your book!

I am looking for a cd rom of thisbook, may be you can tell me if this cd exists? if yes how can I get it?
best regards Dr` Roman Korobochka MD

The best book on successful proposal strategies for small businesses available today! The 4th edition again raises the bar, incorporating the latest lessons learned and the latest techniques to consistently produce winning proposals. This book is a must read for all business development, capture management, and proposal management professionals. It serves as a tutorial as well as a reference, and is widely regarded as the Bible for small business proposals. Whether your small business is 10, 100, or 1000 employees, the application of these successful proposal strategies will increase your win rate and take your small business to the next level. The 4th edition not only provides a roadmap on how to write compliant proposals, but also how to gather and incorporate marketing intelligence [e.g., customer hopes, fears and biases] to produce the winning proposal. I highly recommend this book to all my colleagues, as this reference is equally valid for businesses of all sizes.

Winning proposals in the federal market space is incredibly challenging for small businesses. The 4th Edition of Robert S. Frey's book, Successful Proposal Strategies for Small Businesses, provides small business owners and managers with real-world, in-depth insights, best practices, and lessons learned to increase their proposal win rate on a sustained basis. The book is filled with hundreds of practical and field-tested ideas, templates, techniques, and methods. Successful Proposal Strategies is required reading for my management at 1-Source. Why? Because it is the single best proposal development resource on the market, period.

This book is a must read for all proposal and capture professionals:

1. It is now in its 4th edition - lots of tuning, process updates, lessons learned, and continuous industry syncronization. The first edition was great, each new edition builds on that success while continuing to add more value.

2. The book is based on extensive first-hand experience with what works, what does not, and why. Bob makes effective use of collaboration with other industry leaders and introduces processes that have withstood the test of winning.

3. Although aimed at small businesses, the information is equally valid for businesses of all sizes.

4. The focus is on winning, winning, winning.

Bob Frey has created both a tutorial as well as a reference book that will guide you through the entire business development process from identification of opportunity through the completion and follow on activities of the proposal. It will introduce the novice to all the intricacies of proposal development and provide the seasoned veteran with new insights as we constantly endeavor to provide true value added services to our companies or clients. It is easy to read as a tutorial. It also is easy to find the answer to a particular vexing problem. It is loaded with references to informative web sites. I highly recommend it to all my colleagues whether they work for the small businesses identified in the title or for large corporations. Every consultant should have this on their bookshelf.

This is THE book for small business wishing to grow and thrive in the Fed Gov market place. Robert Frey is the first author to capture the true essence of Business Development, Knowledge Management, Capture Management and Proposal Development for leveraging small, disadvantaged business such as Service Disabled Veteran Owned, 8(a), HUBZone and others into the Fed Gov, Private Sector and International market. It offers concrete, tangible, rubber-meets-the-road advice on how to succeed in these highly competitive arenas. Highly recommended reading for the company that truly desires to succeed.

the book was a little slow and confusing, maybe it was me but I just really never figured parts of it out.. as for the other parts it was okay..

Sydney Teague's latest adventure takes her to the white sandy beaches of South Carolina's famed Grand Strand and to the salt-water marshes and mossy live oak country that Pat Conroy and Celestine Sibley have made famous.

Sydney Teague's adventure in this book has it all! The touches of history, romance, science, sport and evil make this mystery a great read. I could not put it down. I loved the descriptions of the geography, people, food and weather in this book. I was so inspired, I actually bugged my husband for a week to move to a beach town. Sydney is a woman who truly lives life. How often does a woman have the chance to win the trust and respect of a childhood crush, go on a dangerous adventure, in a beautiful place, preserve the past and save lives? Never. . . . . Well, I just did through the writing of Anne Grant.

I followed Sydney Teague from Charlotte to Murrell's Inlet, which is very familiar territory to me. With wonderful description, this book kept me waiting and rushing as I read, unable to put it down. I found myself woven into the plot with Sydney, as she and old fiend, OC, set out to solve a murder in the swampy, spooky areas along the coastline. I have purchased and read all of Grant's Sydney Teague Series, but this one is definately her best work yet. I will never visit the coast without thinking about this book and looking over my shoulder!!!

VOICES IN THE SAND just hit our stores here and I picked it up because I found the cover frightening and intriguing. I thought I would spend the weekend reading it. I finished at 4 AM Saturday morning. My, what a fast, rollercoaster of a ride this book is. Suspenseful and atmospheric, the SC coast stars in this one, although I really liked the Teague character and the grizzled ex-cop named O.C. I'd love to see it a movie!

I basically have to say this novel was excellent.
It is very interesting and so well written.
I have read it 3 times and I know I'll read it again. It really sweeps you away, all the characters are 3 dimensional and realistic.
by the way, Sabina Grant is a pen name, I can't remember what other names the author used.

I first read this book when I was in high school, and I absolutely fell in love with it. I have read it about 4 times now. It actually made me laugh and cry. I loved how the Navajo culture came out in the subtle "every day" way. She didn't bombard you with statistics and make you feel like you were reading a history book, however you really feel like you are getting to know the culture/history. It inspired admiration, sympathy, anger and hate towards the characters. Beautiful, beautiful story.

On a sad note, why are there no more books by Sabina Grant? The first thing I did when I finished reading this book was to try to find more books by her to buy and read, and it appears that this is the only one she wrote.

This book ranks number 1 in my favorite all time books. It is full of compassion, beauty and history. I have read it 5 times and will probably read it again one day. The writer had a way of weaving Navajo tradition into the fabric of the romance story and I fell in love with the Navajo people. I recommend this book very highly.

They were going West, the courageous young Elspeth and her beautiful but ailing married sister, leaving their civilized life in Boston for the uninhabited unknown. Elspeth told herself they were going for her sister's health, but when she looked into her brother-in-law's eyes she saw greed....

When they finally arrived near Santa Fe, Elspeth became friendly with Maria, a young Navajo girl captured and working as a slave. Through Maria, Elspeth began to respect the ways of the Navajo-and to be sympathetic when Maria's brother, Tall Man, swept into the village to rescue her....

From the moment Elspeth saw Tall Man, she could not get him out of her mind. She knew she would follow him to the ends of the earth, and that she would forsake her past to embrace the man and Navajo people, she had fallen in love with forever....

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I first read this book when I was in High School, and have since read it 4 times. I absolutely fell in love with it. The characters were so well developed they provoked love, admiration, anger and hatred toward the characters. I love the way Sabina Grant weaves in the history and culture of the day and of the Navajo people in a sublte, "every day" manner, without bombarding you with statistics or making you feel as though you were reading a history book. The beautiful culture came out in subtle ways with the romance, making you feel you were living right along with them. This book made me laugh and cry.

On a sad note, why does Sabina Grant have no other books? The first thing I did upon finishing the book was to try to find more by her to buy and read. It appears that this is the only one she wrote.

I looked all over the web and in dozens of book stores for a "how to" book concerning technical contracting. Jimmy's book might as well be the only book on this subject. I have recycled every other book I have purchased on this subject.

I am writing this endorsement after purchasing my 5th copy of this book. I can never get my old copies back after loaning them out to other Engineering Contractors.

-Charlie Cote
Barncat Inc., Engineering Services

This informative, highly motivational book accomplishes just what the book title says. The author speaks candidly about his experiences and has developed a step-by-step procedure that reduces risk and can help virtually anyone to get ahead, even if they are already happily employed.

After reading this book, I promptly tossed a bookshelf full of other so-called "how-to" consulting books in the recycling bin. While the others were difficult to understand and provided sketchy details, Jimmy Moore lays out a simple, easy-to-follow, yet extremely effective methodology that anyone can use to launch or improve a career in temp, contract or consulting. I've been contracting for years and learned many surprisingly easy networking techniques for launching an engineering consulting career. My old resume that barely fit on two pages amazingly was able to fit nicely in the one page "skill-bullet" resume format - with less information yet carrying a bigger, more effective punch for busy recruiters who have little time to weed through a long, wordy resume. I also used Jimmy's step-by-step techniques to compile over 100 contract engineering agencies and their e-mail addresses. Initial results have been fantastic and the job calls should continue for months to come! And I STILL havent put all of Jimmy's techniques into action; including the website I am designing and will link up to potential clients. This book has put new life in my engineering career after hitting the "skids."

Moore has a distinctive attitude toward consultants--people with a Noble Cause, who bring optimism, enthusiasm, good ideas, and expertise with them wherever they go. Captive Employees can get bogged down by meetings, beaurocracy, trying to fit the corporate mode, and having other powers decide your projects and professional development. After reading this book, I see that consultants can be more in control of all those factors. This book helps to give a framework for thinking about what it means to be a consultant, how to be an effective and successful consultant, pitfalls to avoid, and how to best serve the company you work for. It is full of helpful and practical ideas for setting consulting rates, learning new ideas, networking, and how to keep current.

I especially recommend this book to people who are new to contract work, or considering contract work!

This informative, highly motivational book accomplishes just what the book title says. The author speaks candidly about his experiences and has developed a step-by-step procedure that reduces risk and can help virtually anyone to get ahead, even if they are already happily employed.