Hall Books

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.

It took me a while to get into Lonnie's book. The book will be of most use to seasoned PMs and of incremental value over time to new PMs. The information Lonnie puts rings a bell in project situations you have been through and fosters thinking in those you have not been through. Lonnie did put a lot of effort in making the book as amenable as possible and he's done a very good job indeed. The apparently light-read has profound implications very appreciable if you have been there. Each topic evokes in me a lot of additional thoughts.

I recommend the following way of reading the book:

1) Select a chapter (any one)
2) Read all the headings
3) Make yourself a mental picture of the following:
3.1 - what you would put under the heading
3.2 - what headings Lonnie may be missing that you would add
4) Read the text for specific headings you want to drill-in further.

All in all this book is very good as an aide-memoire as well as fostering thinking in situations you have not been through.

Regardless of whether you're managing your first project, or have the battle scars from many, this excellent book will be an invaluable resource.

For the new PM the 18 "Screw-ups" cited will give you ample warning about the most common pitfalls encountered in any project. Note that this book is more slanted towards software development projects, but the 18 pitfalls apply to any project type.

Seasoned project managers will recognize every one of the pitfalls cited. Even though this readership may have developed techniques to prevent them after years of experience, many will find the list to be an excellent review before initiating any project. One of the best uses of this book for seasoned (and even new) PMs is to share copies of this book with key project team members and all major stakeholders before the project is initiated. This will communicate awareness of the most likely things that can go wrong, as well as build a collaborative environment.

I particularly like the format used to present each "screw-up" - "How it happens", "Warning signs", "Turning it around" and "Takeaways". This format casts each of the 18 "screw-ups" as a pattern of sorts, and presents each in a consistent manner. I also liked some of the artifacts depicted in the book, such as the example progress report. This (and additional material) can be downloaded from the site supporting the book (paste the ASIN - B00061GLJ2 - into the search box on this page, select All Products, and click the Go button).

The wisdom contained in this excellent, easy-to-read compendium is invaluable. I personally love the book and highly recommend it.

The Project Manager Advisor: 18 Major Project Screw-ups and How to Cut Them Off at the Pass is an excellent read for both new and experienced project managers alike. Pacelli shares his experiences gained from a combined 20+ years at two premier, project-oriented organizations; Accenture and Microsoft. Although geared more toward technology-oriented projects, Pacelli provides examples outside of technology including his own prepared food service business and the lessons learned from these experiences can be applied to almost any type or size of project.

If you are about to initiate a project and are lucky enough to be the designated project lead or are just a team member the title alone entices you to find out what you can do to avoid the most common pitfalls. Alternatively, if you are currently knee-deep in a program curiosity begs you to check your own project for what Pacelli calls the "warning signs". He takes a potentially dry topic and makes it engaging and light to read.

New project managers will find the Advisor easy to navigate making it easy to refer to again and again. The "screw-ups" profiled loosely follow the chronology of a typical project life-cycle from not "addressing the right problem" through not "reporting project progress" to "tripping at the finish line". Each of the 18 chapters highlights a different screw-up and gives the reader ways to identify the traps, how to read the warning signs and what to do to turn it around. The key takeaways are conveniently summarized at the end of each chapter. This organization makes it a great airplane read which is where I initially read the book.

Most of the big failure traps are covered such as lack of sponsorship, scope creep, limited user involvement, project cost, poor communication and inadequate testing. Less attributed traps, but sometimes just as inevitable, are also covered including poor teaming, inadequate risk management, ineffective customer training and no contingency. Even the topic of "pulling the plug" on your project is addressed... one of hardest to actually execute. Many of these issues will be familiar to experienced project managers. But what's different about this guide from the generic, theoretical, "Project Management 101" handbooks is that Pacelli describes his real-world experiences of the subtle warning signs (or obvious ones as the in the case of the project sponsor that doesn't return phone calls) that are often overlooked when you are in the "heat of battle". He combines these warning signs with innovative, but practical, techniques for mitigating these issues. For example, to address the issue of "designing the wrong thing" he suggests clearly defining scope along multiple dimensions (functional, geographic and organizational) including defining exceptions to scope.

I was intrigued with the description of getting the right Sponsorship where Pacelli suggests continuously clarifying expectations, right-sizing your time with the project sponsor, and being explicit on what you need from the sponsor are all ways to help ensure your sponsor is engaged. It resonated as one of the toughest areas to address and Pacelli covers off on the topic with easy-to-follow, common sense approaches. Another chapter I found especially insightful was Screw-Up #10 "The project cost much more than expected" which doesn't focus on cost management techniques but probably more important techniques in managing through the problems including use of contingency fund, tradeoffs on remaining work and requesting additional funding.

Seasoned project managers will sympathize with Pacelli as he chronicles some of his own "failures" and war stories including poking fun at himself in the role of the "overzealous project manager". Pacelli carries the "have some fun" theme throughout the book especially in his chapter on "The team didn't gel" which includes the advice of playing the occasional practical joke and "Go out for a milkshake".

Sprinkled throughout the Advisor are also some sample deliverables that he has used and refined in his own experience running projects as consultant, project manager and business owner. Readers will find excellent updated versions of the standard "project progress report" and "communication plan" that have more relevance in today's corporate environment where competition is keen for management attention but yet so critical for success.

Although it's great flight-time reading, I found myself continually coming back to the Advisor reflecting on my own projects. At a minimum, this book is an excellent quick-reference prior to beginning a project as well as a periodic refresher during the project. However, many readers will find the Advisor a required checklist and invaluable practical, experienced-based resource to organize a project for success.

Pacelli also offers up additional resources and templates for project success that will be maintained on his website to supplement the book. Pacelli also gives an opportunity to share your own "screw-ups". I'm looking forward to this supplement to the Advisor.

So, before you start your project be sure to pick up a copy of The Project Manager Advisor: 18 Major Project Screw-ups and How to Cut Them Off at the Pass. You will certainly learn about what to avoid. And it's a fun read.

This book is remarkably concise and meaty. It highlights trouble spots that occur again, and again, and again, in project management. Each chapter is about a 5- to 10-minute read, but impart years of wisdom.

What's the $6K? That's the raise that I got because this book gave me the answers that I needed in a tight spot! Thank you, Mr. Pacelli!

I thoroughly loved the writing style and content of this book. The content is geared toward anyone managing a project and what pitfalls to avoid along the way--I saw many of my past mistakes in this book and then wished I had this earlier so I didn't have to learn the lessons the hard way.

This book is a must have for anyone managing a project, large or small.

This is among my top 5 audio books, out of the perhaps 50 that I've listened to over the years. The author's wry sense of humor combines with a gift for suspense to make for an excellent spy novel. But there is also a sensitivity to human emotion that is touching at points. Highly recommended.

I have been a book reader my entire life. This Author (who passed away a few years ago) shall be deeply missed. Written with intelligence and in a manner that the characters (and their souls) become alive on the paper in my hands.

It is very likely you have never heard of this author, nor his Quiller series.

Warning :) Know up front that if you order one of them, you shall (over time) order all of them.

Run do not walk and gather up many enjoyable evenings with all of the Quiller novels.

A deep thank you Elleston Trevor, aka Adam Hall for providing me with your words.

...this author did to the spy thriller--don't be put off by the number of pages, each is fast-paced and the writing style is both accessible as well as being completely original--with all the hoopla over Brosnan quitting the Bond series, Broccoli and co. could do no wrong using this character and series as a template--HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

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

In New Zealand, where I live, haere ra is a Maori term meaning more than goodbye. It expresses sorrow at the departure, regret at the necessity for parting, hope for a reuniting in the future.
Adam Hall, creator of Quiller, is no more. Quiller has performed his last service with his usual stoicism, his acknowledged courage, his down-at-heel humanity.
I've enjoyed meeting with Quiller on a regular basis; I regret that he shall tell me no new tales.
However, I have his old tales to refresh my mind as to what an extraordinary character he was.
Haere ra, Quiller.

I am amazed that this book seems so obscure;1 other review?!Ive read extensively including all of the great and renowned authors in most modern lists-this book would be up there in any list in terms of the quality of the writing.Cordell brings the welsh character to life with 3 dimensional people enduring the bitter hardships of 19th century mining life.Humorous,tragic,heartfelt,real 'The rape of the fair country' is a must read for those searching for pure quality;unlike many novels relating struggle or hardship this one stands above,resonates truth and emotion and leaves the reader with an indelible memory.There are two more in the series of the Mortimer family but this is the best of them. Told through the eyes of the younger son Iestyn in a first person account the language will charm,the plot will intrigue and the characters will be endear with a real ring of truth.At times earthy and sensuous,never falsely romantic this book is a gem that surprisingly seems to have missed out on any mainstream recognition.Dont be misled by that ,with this book you wont be disappointed

"The Fair Country" is rural Wales and this is a novel of the industrial revolution - or rather, a polemic against it.

The story is set in a Welsh valley, and begins in 1826. It describes how the valley became a centre of iron production, and is highly critical of the human cost of industrialisation.

The writing is quite moving and powerful, and will be what most people read this book for.

The attitudes presented in "Rape of the Fair Country" are rather one-sided and simplistic. Over the last century, the word "luddite" has become a pejorative term of abuse to mean someone who is mindlessly opposed to technological change or reform approved of by the person using the word. This novel is literally pro-luddite in the original sense of that expression in that the heroes and heroines of the book are opposed to the human cost of the industrial revolution.

The book represents the government and ironmasters as a machiavellian evil, and the Welsh working men who eventually rise against them as brave and noble but foolhardy.

I was initially tempted to caricature this book by desribing it as so pro-luddite as to make the Teamsters union seem like the John Birch society by comparison. However, that would be a little unfair, as the book also depicts the awful results which can follow if people are too quick to resort to force, even in what would otherwise be a just cause, without thinking through the consequences.

I am 27 and embarrassed to say that "Rape of the fair country" is the first book I've really read, but what a way to start! When you begin reading the book you soon become inseparable for you feel as though you are part of the "Mortymer" family. Its a tragic but beutiful tale of life at the begining of this century in the iron works of the South Wales Valleys. But it's an eye opener into the world we live in today. (Some third world countries). It makes you appreciate our past and be thankful of what we have today. A trully wonderfull read.

am amazed that this book seems so obscure;1 other review! Ive read extensively including all of the great and renowned authors in most modern lists-this book would be up there in any list in terms of the quality of the writing.Cordell brings the welsh character to life with 3 dimensional people enduring the bitter hardships of 19th century mining life.Humorous,tragic,heartfelt,real 'The rape of the fair country' is a must read for those searching for pure quality;unlike many novels relating struggle or hardship this one stands above,resonates truth and emotion and leaves the reader with an indelible memory.There are two more in the series of the Mortimer family but this is the best of them. Told through the eyes of the younger son Iestyn in a first person account the language will charm,the plot will intrigue and the characters will be endear with a real ring of truth.At times earthy and sensuous,never falsely romantic this book is a gem that surprisingly seems to have missed out on any mainstream recognition.Dont be misled by that ,with this book you wont be disappointed

I heartily agree with the other readers of this wonderful book who have given it 5 stars. I first read it as a teenager back in my native Wales and was fascinated by its accurate historical detail and wonderful earthy characters - I think it exlains better than any other novel of its type the eternal struggle of the Celts against their Anglo-Saxon would-be conquerors, and why we (the Celts) are so different. Had this book been written about Scotland or Ireland, I am sure it would have been made into an Oscar-winning movie by now!

This anthology is full of variety. Most every tale is dark in tone and packs a visceral punch, but the inspiration behind each story is different and it makes for a great package. Never mind that I'm in it; I was laid up in the hospital when I got my copy, and READ BY DAWN II made the time fly. Not a dull moment!

I was particularly impressed with Scott Brendel's contribution, The Seventh Green AT Lost Lakes. I thought it was a well written, suspenseful, and interesting.

Read by Dawn was a fascinating read. Michele Lee rocks socks. Various dark and chilling stories to keep you up and looking at shadows all night long.

Let's just forget for a moment that I have a story in this anthology (Read by Dawn volume 1) and say it just happened to be an Amazon.com order mistakenly delivered to my house. I'm not going to go over story (because there are 27 of them), as I do with magazines. Instead I'm going to highlight a few stories that stood out to me. In the order they appear in the book these are:

# Last Day on the Job by Jeff Jacobson- I loved the imagery of the world of skyscrapers which so many take for granted raining down upon the bug-like people below. The ending sort of fizzled, but the middle was creepy and amusing, a combination I love.


# The Seventh Green a Lost Lake by Scott Brendel- Golf horror. I love it!


# Lessons by Katherine A. Patterson- One of the creepiest stories in anthology. It's troubling on many levels, with a just desserts style ending and centers entirely on family dynamics, not violence per se.


# Popee by Justin Madison- My co-favorite in the anthology. I love dark humor and I can't even look at the title anymore without picturing a old man zombie gnawing on his grand son, being shoved back and leaving his dentures behind. When I go back through this will be the first one I read.


# The Bloom of Decay by Patricia McCormack- This one wins the creativity award in my opinion. It takes a strong veer from the rest of the stories. The horror in this one comes not from something that happens, or something the character has earned, but from who the character really is. I'm not sure it's flattering to the author, but I'd consider it flattering if someone said it of me, but this story inspired a little story of my own. This one most definitely made me think.

# Final Girl by Joe L. Murr- This one is my other co-favorite. (Hah! And you thought it was going to be my own.) This one caught me by surprise. It's so wrong but so right. It all makes sense with those last few lines, but the situation isn't the only horrible aspect of this tale.


# Frankie by Matt Wedge- This one wins the "I'd need therapy" award. In fact, just browsing the story again as I thumbed through the book to do this review made me put the book down fast, lest I reread a disturbing scene. I'll tell you one thing, these horror writers know human behavior too well. No wonder why normal people are scared of us. We use them against themselves.


# The Woman Who Coughs Up Flies by David Turnbull- This kind of story gives me hope, as a writer. The plot I guessed close to the beginning, but the sheer beauty of the writing sold me this one. It give me hope when I see those "the plot was too predictable" rejects.


# Special Offer by John Llewellyn Probert- I will never channel surf by HSN or QVC again and not think of this story. I really like that it gives a physical pain to people who spend recklessly, either due to a psychological problem or to plain old greed. I know many of these people who show off their neat new playthings while my family makes sure all bills are paid first and fully. I wonder if they would still act the same if they had the consequences presented in this story.


# Body Hunt by Chet Gottfried- Had the above mentioned "Popee" not been in this collection this tale would have won my humor vote. Amusing and dark but a natural dark, not forced. It almost reads like a dark sitcom.


# What Betty Saw by Joel Jacobs- A nice story at the end about the end. I would not have placed this story anywhere else in the collection as it does a fantastic job of bringing the anthology to a very final (burning) end.


I'd also like to note that there were no bad, poor, or even fair stories between these white covers. Every story had it merits, some merely connected better with me than others. My complete reading only serves to make me more proud of being including among these fantastic writers' tales. I am definitely putting volume two on my to buy list, as I will not be within it pages.

Good luck to Bloody Books and all the authors who have been included within their publications. May you receive the recognition you deserve.

READ BY DAWN: Volume 1
This has been a great year for anthologies. First we got Lee and Wilbanks' knock out collection, "Damned Nation", and then Skipp's long awaited zombie anthology, "Mondo Zombie", and now from Bloody Books we have READ BY DAWN. Put together by Adele Hartley, Director of "Dead By Dawn", Scotland's International Horror Film Festival, the anthology showcases writers from around the world, including Finland, America, Scotland, Canada, and Australia. If there is an international language for horror, this anthology is it. Among the 30 stories within, I consider only a few to fall into the mediocre category, most go straight to my favorite short stories of the year list. If this collection doesn't sweep the International Horror Guild and the Stokers awards next year, and get some respectable page space in Ellen Datlow's "Year's Best Fantasy and Horror", there is no justice.
Some of my particular favorites- I mean the ones that downright made me gasp aloud or shiver while reading them- were "Bloodwalker" by Michelle Lee, an alternative universe tale of practical evil, "The Face in the Glass" by Brian G. Ross, and Rayne Hall's "The Bridge Chamber" (take that, The Descent). I'd also like to call attention to Samuel Minier's "Stuck" as a particularly well-written piece, subtle and heart wrenching, even to the bloody end. And I liked the way Lavie Tidhar takes the Alice In Wonderland theme across the world and plops it into war torn Germany in "Eine Kleine Nachmusik (1943)". But I think if I had to choose a favorite it would be "The Kylesku Trow" by Stefan Pearson; the tale's last riddle will haunt me for many years to come.
Bloody Books knows how to package. The austere red, white, black and gray cover draws you in, and the font is easy reading despite the size of the slim volume. I have only one complaint with the book's construction: There are no author names listed with the tales themselves, neither in the Table of Contents or the traditional top of the page of each story. If one needs to find the author, one must either go back to the first page of the story, or scan the tiny print of the copyright page. But this is such a small thing compared to the fine stories this volume gives us. My hope is that subsequent volumes will fix this issue. But in the professional hands of the editor, I think the next volume will be even more engrossing and bring to light some of the new names in horror. And the U.K.'s most respected living horror author, Ramsey Campbell, must think they've got what it takes to become something quite special, as he adds a touching story of his own to the collection and provides a wrap around piece as well. "The Place of Revelations" seems to be his nod to the new voices in the genre and is, as usual, brilliantly written work from a master of the craft.
In the absence of so many beloved ongoing anthology series, this is one to keep your eyes on in the future to give you the well-written, exciting horror fix you need.

--Nickolas Cook

Mr. Hall has given us all a chance to better understand the speeches that have shaped our world. I am intrigued by the way he interprets these words and allows the reader to become a part of US history. An easy read and entertaining, not to mention educational.

Wynton Hall is one of the bright young conservative writers, It's delightfully informative to read his books. He does his research and knows how to explain today's political rhetoric. Keep your eye on him.

Wynton Hall's insight displays his knowledge as a rhetorician. The preview chapters I read on the publisher's website were well written and documented. In my opinion, this book is not only important because of its analysis of rhetoric but that it also reveals how much these speeches have affected the world. The Right Words is quite different from Home of the Brave and the Greatest Communicator but his writing ability makes it a wonderful read.

"I loved Hall's last book. This one is different but just as good if not better. It felt like I was in the audience for these famous speeches.
I was familiar with some of them, but others I'd never even heard of, which made it all the more fascinating to read. If you're a Republican I don't see how you can not read this one. It's a fun, fast read. I give it two thumbs up."

This book is valuable for two reasons. First, it is not a random collection of one person's view as to what constitutes a great speech. The 17 speeches examined here are oriented around eternal Republican themes of individual (rather than collective) responsibility; a belief in values that are absolute, not relative; and a strong national defense, the foundation of individual civil liberties.

Second, each speech is intertwined with commentary on its historical setting. Platitudes need no explanation. Great speeches, though, are rooted in a specific historical context while also appealing to timeless values.

Those of other political parties will gain from reading this book. It is not meant to convert but to educate. Serious people will want to look beyond the caricature of Republicans so often presented in many media sources. Understanding the basic beliefs of one of America's two major political parties is valuable regardless of one's political persuasion.

The Ramage's text is considered the standard in its field, and I purchased it on recommendation of my son, who teaches Art History. In my case I wanted to learn about Etruscan and Roman art in preparation for a planned trip to Italy. The book is well-written and has very clear illustrations, and I anticipate extra enjoyment of my vacation next Spring from having learned about this important cultural history.

I'm taking a Roman Art Course and it's an excellent text to start, great images and easy to understand information. I thought it was not going to be in the perfect conditions it came. I feel very satisfied :D

I wanted to refresh on a Roman Art History course I took in college, because I'll be going to Italy soon and wanted to remember all the great things I learned in that class. I found this book and it is identical to the book I study years ago. I'm extremely excited I've found this book. And it has brought back all those things I have forgotten about the history of Art is Roman.

"Roman Art" is easily one of the best art history books I have ever read. What really sets it apart is the writing style - rather than being dry and stuffy, the language is very clear, understandable, and *gasp* engaging! Be warned, the pictures are primarily black and white, but many of the objects covered, being marble statues and buildings, have no need for color. Those items that are printed in color, like wall paintings, are items that really benefit from it. I would highly recommend this book to those interested in Roman art, and even to those who aren't - I had no real interest in Roman art when I used "Roman Art" in an art history class, but this book has made it one of my favorite subjects.

This book is an absolute gem! It is thorough and very educational yet quite readable and even entertaining. The text is paired with brilliant photos that make the topic come to life. Even while cramming for a test, this book made my study time less boring and even enjoyable!
A must for anyone interested in the topic of Roman art - provides a solid foundation.

This book blew me away! If ever a book needs to be republished, this is the one. It opens the hurting world of Christian women who are being abused by their husbands unlike any other I have ever read. I ordered as many of them as I could find on the internet and gave them away. The thing I found the most insightful is that it is written in first person and, as such, reveals the innermost thoughts and reasonings of the abused wife and mother. I cried through many pages. The ending, though, is positive and shows the way out of a terrible situation.

This book gives you the perspective of an abused wife who is a very deeply devoted Christian who believes that all the faults in her marriage are related to her own failings, never wanting to admit that they could also be attributed to her husband. Having known women like this, I could easily identify with Sadie as she struggles to placate her husband and still maintain some semblance of a personal identity. The effect of their hidden family life on the children is sad and disturbing, especially when you read about how the husband was abused as a child--the cycle is just continuing on & on. The secondary story about a missing child and Sadie's developing friendship with the mother is interesting a provides an nice counterpoint to the situation at home.

Sadie�s Song is a page-turning, heart wrenching, inspiring book that grabs you from the beginning and doesn�t let go. There�s a murder in town and another child is missing. Sadie�s husband has always been controlling and mean, but things are getting worse. Sad, tired and defeated, with five children and no help, how will Sadie survive the tribulations life has tossed at her? And who murdered the children? The book made me sad and it made me cry with happiness at the end. This is a wonderful, book with depth and meaning. Linda Hall is a fantastic writer.

Ms. Hall weaves a tight, exciting, and suspenseful tale from the first page. Written in the first person, Sadie's Song, artfully puts the reader into Sadie's head as she goes about "this little life of mine" as she refers to it. Sadie lives with an abusive husband and five kids and the insurmountable task of looking like the happy, contented wife of a godly husband. The signs of abuse are all around her, from her comments about hoping dinner will come out just the way Troy likes it to a son who sits under furniture and growls. A missing child, mysterious music that only Sadie seems to hear, and a friend with enough secrets of her own, will keep the reader turning pages. I loved reading this book and wondered as I neared the end how everything would be wrapped up in the few remaining pages.

If I thought Bette Nordberg's "Serenity Bay" was a fast-pace suspense, this one is catchy from the go - another one difficult to put down! We need a wider range to rate these books - one to five stars just isn't enough.

The writer, I'm sure, has a real feel of what having five small children would be like - the busy schedule and the constant interruptions, the whining and fighting. Sometimes, it probably would be tempting and easier to just give in to their tantrums. That would take care of the issue for the short term but it would cause a problem in the long run.

Sadie is just such a mother in this story with a grouchy husband who is one way in front of church members but totally different with his family. He's mean-tempered but that's not all. Sadie has a nagging feeling about her husband's involvement in something but she doesn't know if and who to talk to about this - afterall, it's just a feeling - maybe just a coincidence. Then she finds out something else and that "coincidence" is looking more like a reality and less like a "feeling".

Very good book for learning. You can follow many examples with a running Scheme interpreter; I recommend it as a must.

I'm a fan of a lot of the popular Scheme or Scheme related books (SICP, The Little Schemer, The Seasoned Schemer). While in some sense this book takes a more pragmatic approach than the aforementioned books, it is no less valuable. I found this book helpful as a teaching aid while learning Scheme, and as a reference for my continued use of the language.

Advanced topics, such as continuations and the syntax-rules and syntax-case macro systems, get good treatment from this book.

Highly recommended.

Good book. To the point. Doesn't waste time with fluffy words. Excellent. I learned Scheme in a few days from this book. Scheme is like C on steroids. I like C, I hate C++ and Java. Calculus is entirely about functions, not objects. And I don't see people saying oh, Calculus is weak because it isn't object oriented. BLECH. Teach me to fish, don't give me one.

I purchased this book specifically with a view to learning the Scheme language. The text is easy to read, is pithy and to the point, and generally makes concepts clear and easy to understand. There are however, in my opinion, some sections where the author forgets that concepts are new to the reader and the examples that are used tend to obfuscate the point being made rather than elucidating it.

I have never considered myself stupid, but after my 5th reading of the introduction to continuations I was beginning to worry. A quick reading of another text on the subject cleared up my concerns almost immediately which suggests to me that the explanations are not as clear as they could be. There are some other areas of the book where this sort of assumption makes grasping a new concept more difficult than it should be.

Nonetheless, I still consider this a good introduction to the Scheme language and would gladly recommend it to the aspirant Schemer.

As I said in a past review to the second edition, this book is wonderful. This book has convinced me to migrate from Common Lisp to Scheme. This is a serious book for the one that really wants to learn about Scheme and require careful study and a strong motivation. Please note: if you are really interested to learn Scheme, then this book is for you; if you are not really interested and/or you like to joke, this book is absolutely not for you. The book is accurate, complete, well written and cover all you need about the modern Scheme. I use Scheme for personal study about bioinformatics. Thanks to the Autor.

I purchased this book for my daughter as a Christmas gift. She works for an architecture firm and specializes in historic preservation. She has wanted this book for years but it is pricey and she did not feel she could purchase it for herself. She is extremely pleased with book and would recommend it to anyone that is interested in the history of architecture.

Mine is a new 1975 edition (which was a small fraction of the new price). It is as much a history of the world--and an incredibly detailed one--as a history of architecture. It opens each of its 40 chapters with a discussion of a civilization or era, then describes the buildings very matter-of-factly. Sometimes opinions emerge: Louis Kahn is cited as an example of a flash-in-the-pan; FLLW's Guggenheim is criticized as impractical.

The photos are top quality B/W, often very old. Its real strength is early architecture; by chapter 35, it is only finishing up the Renaissance. The authors are so knowledgeable, the writing so polished after 18 editions, all others pale by comparison.

I don't think there's much of a market for these books outside of libraries, but those who read it will marvel at its erudition.

For over a century, this has been THE classic study of the history of architecture. It is a work of art in it's own right and worth owning simply for the joy of hefting it's not inconsiderable weight and browsing once in a while - even as a layman. The text is extraordinarily readable and the illustrations are a delight. It's so packed full of information - believe me, even if you have only a limited interest in architecture you will learn a great deal that will surprise you from this book! Enthusiasts for classical and other older branches of architecture may wish to consider purchasing second-hand copies of older editions - they're somehow nicer, and devote less space to the debased modern form of the art. (Yes, I'm biased and proud of it!:) Of a reasonable collection of architectural history books, (including several larger-format, beautifully-illustrated coffee-table books in the modern style)this book is easily my favourite. It has class, style and above all, character. Buy it!

Without a doubt, this text is the Quintessential Gold Standard for introductory Western Architecture. A must have for anybody who is serious about learning about how Western Architecture has evolved over time, and with little if any bias. Its only weak area is with architectural development in Asia and South/Central Meso America. Other than that, this is my third copy of the text and it just keeps getting better. Believe me when I say, this is one book you may never want to loan out, for it may not get returned. I know, it's happened to me once already.

If there ever was a book on the history of architecture this is it! So very well documented with numerous pictures and chronologies. Wow! the mother of all architecture books-well worth the price.