M Books

... you just HAVE to check out Deb Butterfield's book "Showdown With Diabetes"! In her book she tells about her life with diabetes and her transplant! In the second part of her book, she talks about the progress over the years that pancreas and islet transplants have made! What impressed me is how she takes all the MANY researchers' information and discusses it all in an easy to understand and positive manner! I'm just so impressed and just had to share this book with you! It's the best thing I've read in a long time!

For anyone affected by diabetes, especially those of us with type 1 - this book should be a real fast and insightful read. Having personally lived with type 1 for the past 25 years, this is the first book I've seen which doesn't try to perpetuate the prevailing myth that the patient is ultimately responsible for his or her condition, or that this illness is nearly as "manageable" as the medical profession, the media or society in general would have us believe. I suspect that much of the first part of the book, which takes the reader through Deb's own struggle with diabetes, is so familiar that it could have been written by anyone who has lived with this illness. The second part closes on a positive note outlining the breakthoughs that will impact finding a cure. But it also serves as a message to the diabetic community that they must do better in advocating for a cure (including funding and policies) which are required to get there. A really good book.

Deb was looking back at me from my mirror! What an incredibly insightful, hopeful, powerful story of diabetes ... Showdown really tells it like it is ... unbelievable refreshing and cathartic! THANKS!

Before a few months ago I did not have a detailed knowledge of diabetes, although I have worked for academic medical centers for over twenty years.

I did a good deal of research when I was asked to consider the position of President and CEO of the Juvenile Diabetes Foudation. Of all my readings, none was as important as Showdown with Diabetes. Most important of all, it enabled me to understand the passion for a cure that has driven JDF's volunteers and staff for over 30 years.

Thankyou Deb for sharing your experiences. I hope that, in my new position, I can help to accomplish the goals you have so articulately described in Showdown with Diabetes.

... you just HAVE to check out Deb Butterfield's book "Showdown With Diabetes"! In her book she tells about her life with diabetes and her transplant! In the second part of her book, she talks about the progress over the years that pancreas and islet transplants have made! What impressed me is how she takes all the MANY researchers' information and discusses it all in an easy to understand and positive manner! I'm just so impressed and just had to share this book with you! It's the best thing I've read in a long time!

I GOT this book for my class and i loved! I'm very connected with her and most of the things she said in the book. i field vry connected with many places and situations that she was. I really love and admire the way you describe the places, you have shust of talent describing that is very easy to get touch by anything that you say.

P.M. Woods has written a heart tugging novel that I enjoyed as a reader and I think that other readers will enjoy it also. Ms. Woods uses a different type of style by telling Nora's story in fragments. We take the journey with Nora as she moves from the sunny state of California to the not so warm upstate New York. I was fascinated by Nora's love affair with Will. Ms. Woods' novel made me aware of nature and she always painted a perfect portrait of landscapes throughout the entire book.

Throughout most of the story, Will is intertwined in Nora's life. The memory of this man shows through profoundly as dialogue and a long-distance affair are recollected in precise detail. Besides the human interactions, landscapes and surroundings come to us in great detail, showing that the places Nora has been remain integral to her being. Her memory brings forth each setting in just enough detail as to draw you into a balance between people and place. Because of the inherent importance of the distance between Will and Nora and what this dose to their relationship, the long journeys Will takes to actually see Nora become mystified as broken phone calls inform not only us, but Nora, of the patchwork picture of where Will is. These calls ground us into the reality of life and how unpredictable it can be. Helping this notion along is the seemingly random times at which Will calls Nora for midnight rendezvous. They cannot reveal what they are doing or have done, but even so, danger is never sensed -- only Will's hasty exits cue us in on the rush that is involved with their affair.
I believe what P.M. Woods has done with Ian is created the counterpart to Will's personality. here we see an immature, unwed, egotistic, self-centered boy. His energies are directed toward hatred of women, and at some points of the story, such as the oven cleaning section -- where Nora is brutally attacked while cleaning said oven -- I get the impression that this is actually Ian, although it is never said outright. Will acknowledges that Ian as a "pushy" personality, which constantly pokes and prods at your worst aspects, and it lays a foundation, for me, into understanding a woman's point of view into why the remain in such relationships. Nora verbalizes this want to hold on, that he might change, but he doesn't. With one last trivial act, Nora finally decides to end it, but this is only revealed to us late in the book.
The issue of cheating on your spouse is integral to most of what takes place in the book, and it makes me question if their affair is really something bad at all. Here we have Will, whose wife wants to leave him. And here we have Nora, who is told first hand of this. The only person out of the loop is Will, who is then doing wrong. Although we don't know if Will is aware of his wife's detraction, regardless, he continues to maintain a relationship with Nora, however scattered and distant it may be. The whole situation begs to tell me a bit about women and their motives. I don't wish to label all women in such a way, because certainly one's experience does not dictate another's, but it seems clear that they, or more specifically, Nora, is easily lead, succumbing to feeling. Will plays this smoothly, always fun to be around, and having somewhere else to be. His laidback reserve seems easy to rest on, and many times in the story, we see Nora attempting to match his pace. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the scene where Nora is trying to match her heartbeat to Will's as she laid her head on his chest.
I found "Cliff Hanging" (p140) an interesting section. It provides for vivid imagery and a deep metaphor for Will and Nora's relationship. On one hand, she likes being with Will. In another, she wants to be with Will, but that cannot be. It appears as though Will is a support for Nora, but also a burden that rights itself automatically -- a teasing that only gets worse, and more severe during the times they are apart.
Looking at the story as a whole, I found the fragmented layout a welcome change to the ordered progression of novels written in chapters. Each part of the story comes later or earlier, which helps to hold our attention on how the importance of a section comes into play in an earlier or later part. The book privdes for a leisurely ride through the expanses of scenic landscapes and the journeys of an affair that ultimately will lead to nowhere but self reflection. It's hard to say that I'd known about this book outside of the class where I was introduced to it, but I'm glad I did. It's a dose of disorder that makes me wonder just what else is possible in story structures, and the methods of delivery a story can be presented in.

P.M. Woods, crafts an interesting tale, a weaving of poetic tapestry. It's a fragile love story that transcends a journey of self discovery and remembering moments from a particular time. You will be able to identify with the every day characters. Once you pick up this book you will be drawn in to the very end.

This is a complicated story that is excellently crafted. The main characters are running away and so go west with the conflicting desires to disappear and to connect. There is the "hunted" feel of the great westerns which works well as it seems everyone is trying to escape circumstances and/or consequences. There are two unique literary devices that took some getting use to. One that involves movies on drive in theatre screens illuminating the plot and the second; well you'll have to read the book to see if it works for you. In this age where we struggle to find meaning in the scrap piles of our own making, this novel captures a yearning, a working it out while viewing in full the paths ahead. The sheriff is coming for ya, it's just that he's not over the next hill, he's watching from the unconscious. Let's hope that Ron MacLean has another book coming soon!

I like Strange Matter books because they are scary and cool. And because I think "The Last One In" is cool. I like the rest of the books because they are a lot of fun to read. I think when you turn the page you get a new surprise.

it was sweet i encurage peaple to read this because theres diferent monsters like dover demon pendek mingwa and my two favorites the collecter and buru. it even shows pictures of them all!!! and make more books.

With these awesome horror/adventure books are entrily new in a sense there not. It uses peolple, places, and things from the world of Strange Matter. In a word: AWESOME

This book is great! Strange Forces takes all the Strange Matter books and rolls them into one astounding novel. As far as I know, there are four of these books, Strange Forces 1,2,3, and Strange Forces: The Last Buru. People didn't buy these books enough and apparently, the creators went out of buisness. I wish more people had known about them, then the book would have gotten more sales and it would have stayed in buisness. Strange Matter was a great series, and I know quite a few people who want to see Strang Forces, and all the other Strange Matter books, make a comeback. I would reccomend this book to anyone.

This book is one of a kind. It made me literally feel like Iwas in it! Iv'e read it over and over and can't stop. I want to getall the Strang Matter: Strange Forces books and the Last Buru too. I you want a real alien/monster/unknown species THRILLER book, this books would be it! Once you pick it up you can't set it down. Once you finish a chapter you just have to read the next. There are all kinds of strange creatures. For example Burus, Mingwas, Marlaks, Mothman, Pendeks, and all other kinds! Then their is the Collecter. He is the main evil dude in this chilling story. This book is I believe in Indianapolis, Indiana is not for sale anymore. So I need to get the others from here at Amazon. This place has it all, and so do the books.

I've been reading a fair number of these over the past few months. Maybe it"s because I'm finally beginning to understand, but this most recent read is definitely the most complete, straightforward and readable analysis of the application of Lean to Supply Chain Management that I have come across.

And this is a European speaking!!

This book is concise in dealing with the basics and the advanced materials in the subject. Author's language is discernible even for those who are not familiar with this concept.

I am the Corporate Lean Champion for a global manufacturing company. I had heard of the bullwhip effect but did not thoroughly understand it before reading "the book" as I refer to it when recommending it to my Lean students. Streamlined helped me to put a plan together utilizing rate based planning, Lean variation reduction tools, and pull protocols to Crack the Bullwhip effect and drive it out of our organization!

Streamlined is a "must read" for any Lean practitioner, operations Leader, supply chain leader ot MBA student.

I actually got the opportunity to study under Srini and can verify his expertise in this field. I picked up more than a few great ideas in this book that I hadn't seen in the many books I have read on the subject. I would recommend this book to students, managers, and specialist at all experience levels.

I have adopted "streamlined" for an advanced topics in management course on lean supply chains. The challenge of finding a book that goes beyond the abstract concepts to more detailed and parctical steps for implementation has been greatly alleviated by "streamlined." Dr. Srinivasan provides the reader and the student in particular with a very well thought out and written text. My students' initial worries about the rigor and difficulty of the subject matter were quickly mitigated after reading the first few chapters.
The 14 principles provided me, the professor, an organizing framework for the delivery of the course, the assignments and the term project. The students and myself found "streamlined" to be very interesting, thought proviking, and useful.
This book is a must-read for any faculty member regardless of their discipline as the topics covered cut across all functional areas of business and provide a much-needed integrative approach.

This book is an excellent tool to expand your understanding of taijiquan. Mr. Rodell gives an excellent insight into the internal world of the martial arts. This book is not written by an external artist pretending to be an internal master, but by a pure practitioner of neigong.

Scott Rodell shares his experiences, insights, and knowledge of taijiquan very openly in this appropriately titled book. There is a sense that much of the text was hand-written after a good practice or mini-revelation. It is casual in this sense, but also well organized, with an excellent balance in discussing the principes, personal thoughts and daily experiences with the art. There is a also a very strong sense of history, not to preach, but to strive to bring the art back to where it should be.

the auther had a good approach to making it short simple and to the point

I have been studying Tai Chi Chuan for over 10 years and have read several book on Tai Chi Chuan, finding most of them to be a dissapointment. Very few books on the subject, especially recent ones, actually discuss how to approach the practice of Tai Chi Chuan in such great detail as this book. It is small, concise, and ultimately cuts to the heart of Tai Chi practice and philosophy. There is an amazing amount of detail and breakdown of concepts that are often (intentionally) left vague or not discussed in other works, and the insights revealed are invaluable. This is an author who has steeped himself in the tradition, the culture, and the classics of the art, and made them completely accessible to modern practitioners. Along the way, Mr. Rodell has cut through the mysticism and hype, offering critiques of and solutions to the common mistakes of modern practice
I'll try not to duplicate too much of what others have written about this book as I agree with them, and would highly recommend this book to practitioners of any level. As with all great teachings, the information presented carries layers of meaning that grow with the practitioners understanding of the material. As others have said, this is the real deal.

This book is the real deal. There's a great deal of wisdom in a very small package. I hightly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about their taiji.

This book gives you a great set of guidelines on how to get ready for and start a relationship with potential for the long term. It also helps put in perspective how to view the downsides of dating.

In addition, the example stories help bring home the lessons. It's a great guidebook for dating right.

Amy's Take Heart gives encouragement and solace to those out there who are scared and lacking self confidence because of previous relationships.
The book is an easy read and I couldn't put the book down until I read it from cover to cover.

Amy Owens cuts straight to the chase with her refreshing, no-nonsense approach to dating and relationships. The exercises in the book encourage you to delve deep into your heart and mind, resulting in honest answers to some of the most common questions facing singles today.

By completing her lessons, I was able to better define some of the difficulties encountered in past relationships, and how to avoid similar situations in future relationships. Thank you, Amy, for opening my eyes to all the wonderful possibilities that lie ahead!

This book is a MUST read for anyone newly single. I wish so much I would have known about it several years before I did. I know it would have helped me in my dating relationships - especially the chapter on pacing relationships. I didn't fully appreciate the importance of developing a relationship in the progressive manner suggested in Amy Owens' book. After reading the book, it made sense why some of my relationships were not successful. I can definitely see now why it is such a necessity to go through the various stages and the importance of communicating that to your partner. I would highly recommend this book and have, in fact, given several copies to my newly single friends as a show of support - passing on what I wish I would have known sooner. It definitely contains great, practical advice - even for those of us who had been single for awhile before they learned about the book. Definitely a good buy!

One of my goals in life is to continually improve myself as a person. Every once in a while, I find a philosophy, concept, or book that greatly enhances my improvement process. Amy's book does this for me. Unlike many self-help books that belabor a subject, Amy describes her lessons in simple but direct terms. She goes straight to the point and does not over-write the subject.

Having been in quite a few relationships over many years, I have read many books about the single life. Take Heart! is one of the best. Buy the book, read it, use it as a tool for improving your relationships, re-read the book from time to time. I think you will be amazed that Amy's lessons will change your life.

Take Heart! Stories of Encouragement for Singles, PLUS 10 Lessons You'll Need to Find Mr. or Ms. Right by Amy M. Owens has become my bible for relationships.

Excerpt from Fortune Article: How to build a great team by Jerry Useem, FORTUNE, June 1, 2006: 3:31 PM EDT

........ The fact is, most of what you've read about teamwork is bunk. So here's a place to start: Tear down those treacly motivational posters of rowers rowing and pipers piping. Gather every recorded instance of John Madden calling someone a "team player." Cram it all into a dumpster and light the thing on fire. Then settle in to really think about what it means to be a team.

We're certainly not against the concept of teamwork. But that's the point: All the happy-sounding twaddle obscures the actual practice of it. And teamwork is a practice. Great teamwork is an outcome; you can only create the conditions for it to flourish. Like getting rich or falling in love, you cannot simply will it to happen.

We will go further and say: Teamwork is an individual skill. That happens to be the title of a book. Christopher Avery writes, "Becoming skilled at doing more with others may be the single most important thing you can do" to increase your value - regardless of your level of authority.

As work is increasingly broken down into team-sized increments, Avery's argument goes, blaming a "bad team" for one's difficulties is, by definition, a personal failure, since the very notion of teamwork implies a shared responsibility. You can't control other people's behavior, but you can control your own. Which means that there is an "I" in team after all. (Especially in France, where they spell it Equipe.)

This book is a must for anyone who is managing an office. if your office is full of egotistical employees or employees who are not term players, this book will help you to help employess get on the right track.

Many of us charged with leading teams are expected to take the role of 'scapegoat' for team performance. While most of us agree that the team leader does contribute (critically) to the team's success, each individual member can and does impact the team's performance. This book provides a validation that individuals impact teams and goes further to explain that every team member has an obligation to provide for the success of the team. This book helps empower those that want to make a difference in their teams.

For years, I have resisted the popular notion of "there is no `I' in "teamwork" because teams are a collection of individuals working toward a common goal. Each of us brings our own values and skill sets to the table. It is our choice to work together (or not) as a team.
Christopher M. Avery has captured this idea and more in his latest book, Teamwork is an Individual Skill: Getting Work Done When Sharing Responsibility. Chris suggests that individuals take responsibility for team success versus blame others He challenges the reader to be proactive and work through team issues rather than avoid or accommodate others.
This is a perfect book for team members who have been on teams before. It will validate good team behaviors and point out areas to upgrade...in a gentle and non-threatening way. The book is easy to read with lots of stories and examples to highlight the key points.

The book entitled "Teamwork is an Individual Skill" is quite interesting. I work at a large semi-conductor manufacturer as a non-exempt fab technician on a self managed team on night shift.

I am the most experienced and capable person on my team, yet with all of my background I have come to realize how relatively little influence I often have on team performance, and on my ability to push the team in the direction I think it should go. The very first sentence in your book on page 1, "Do you share responsibility with others to get work done but don't have authority over them (and they don't have authority over you)?" absolutely floored me, 'cause that is me to the tee.

I had only gotten to page 8 of your book when I was thoroughly blown away by the directness with which the differences between flat and hierarchical structures were addressed. At my company there is no mention of this approach; even once when I mentioned the term "semi-autonomous team" to the most qualified tech (who happened to be on day shift--arguably a more hierarchical environment due to the presence of many exempt employees) he did not know what the term meant. The company has this structure in place almost as an unwritten agenda.

Your comment on page 5, "Many individuals--especially smart, high achievers--can experience great angst if asked to serve in teams." is in retrospect a great source of comfort to help me understand my angst during my three years with this company. In all of the areas I have worked in during that time I am sure that I had (at least on paper) more qualifications than any one other person (B.S. deg, two A.A.S. degs, 12+ prior years of technical experience, and a whole host of other skills that my teammates do not exhibit.) Plus add to that, that my experience has almost exclusively come from a strongly tilted hierarchical background in retrospect is why I struggled with teams, as you describe them.

Every page of your book is quite thought-provoking, causing me to pause and reflect on how your observations compare to my situation.

When I discovered Louis Savary's The Divine Milieu Explained, I found a kindred spirit, moved deeply by the spirituality of Teilhard de Chardin. I have been reading, and re-reading my dog-eared copy of The Divine Milieu for more than 30 years now, yet this book has led me to many treasures that I had overlooked.

A key illumination for me was the chapter on the Divinization of Our Passivities -- a subject which, frankly, I find Savary's insight into this topic comforting personally, and enriching creatively.

Savary's Spiritual Practices, I believe, are a major breakthrough in making Chardin's spirituality relevant to our everyday lives. I feel that newcomers to The Divine Milieu, as well as veterans like myself, will find them helpful in living Chardin's spiritual insights.

Louis Savary's writing style is refreshingly direct, relevant, and unencumbered by the obscurities into which so many other writers about Teilhard have fallen. He has a great gift for communicating, and shares than gift well.

Teilhard de Chardin left us a brilliant, viable spirituality for the 21st century. Unfortunately, he didn't leave it in a manner most of us could understand. After 15 readings of The Divine Milieu, I find vast portions of it still unclear. Dr. Savary's book is truly a Godsend. After an initial reading, I finally had an overview of The Divine Milieu, all presented in language I could grasp easily. Re-readings will bring further clarity, and the spiritual exercises will assist in truly integrating Teilhard's vision in my life. In the future, I trust that Dr. Savary's commentary and Teilhard's treatise on the interior life will become inseparable. Both should be required reading for 21st century spirituality classes in seminaries, universities, and retreat centers everywhere.

Nori Kieran-Meredith

Thank you, Dr. Savary, for the gift of a lifetime! I was introduced to Teilhard while in college over forty years ago. Teachers and students alike knew we had our hands on something very profound but were never able to get beyond "Alpha Point", "Omega Point" and "Cosmic Christ."

In this beautifully written book Louis Savary opens up and explains the world of Teilhard in terms I can understand and apply. This is a prayer book which I will treasure forever. Several of my friends want to form a prayer/study group to work with the exercises. This really is "Spirituality for the 21st Century."

Mary McDonnell - St. Louis, MO

During the 20th century Jesuit priest/scientist Teilhard de Chardin devised an integrative concept of spirituality and science, melding scientific concepts into Christian beliefs. While many books since his time have attempted to explain his ideas, this is a spiritual guide for the everyday, applied use of his ideas - and offers a set of spiritual practices and exercise blending science and faith. From handling dying and death to understanding the underlying meaning of the Cross, THE DIVINE MILIEU EXPLAINED comes packed with insights for daily life.

Thank goodness Louis Savary cared enough to explain Teilhard's spiritualty in terms we can understand. Dr. Savary is a master at finding and using metaphors to make difficult to understand concepts and ideas ckear and meaningful to us. His spiritual exercises, in true Jesuit fashion, make reading this book a life-changing event. Teilhard's Divine Milieu truely speaks to my spirit.I recommend it to anyone searching for an integrative spirituality. In fact, I recommend it even if you're not searching. I learned to see with new eyes.

This purchase saved me a lot of money compared to the price in the campus bookstore.

Of the eight books I bought, it was the most expensive (cost per page) for all that I received. Although it was in great condition, so were some of the others.

I was totally pleased with the entire process. The book arrived surprisingly quickly and was in perfect condition.

This book was pleseant to read because Socrates was accused of corrupting of young Greek people's mind. Socrates made mockery of his trial. Eventually, he was convicted and was order to drink poison to die.

This is a must for anyone who is interested in the writings of Plato and what little we know about Socrates. The footnotes provide excellent refrences to phrases, gods and place names that the average reader may not be familiar with.

Used as a review tool for a college course after taking a year off in French. Very useful and helpful.

Yes, David Stillman and Ronni Gordon have done it again. Years ago, when I bought The Ultimate French Review and Practice, I was certain that it was the most thorough French grammar book I had ever encountered. However, the newer Ultimate French Verbs Review and Practice carries coverage of the French language a step further. Don't be fooled by the title. To be sure, this is a book on French verbs, one which provides just about everything one might wish to know on the subject. But, it is also packed with up-to-date vocabulary such as computer and internet terms and a wealth of extra tidbits covering other aspects of usage and French language history and development. I took my first French class in 1961 in a high school language laboratory and have been captivated by the language ever since. I went on to study French in college for four years. Since that time, I have continued to read French and to use the French soundtrack on DVD movies as a means of experiencing the language on a regular basis. Living in West Virginia, I rarely get a chance to speak French. It's so nice to have the two Ultimate books to recall things I already know and to learn new things. One little gem I had never encountered before is the use of "vous autres" to emphasize the plural use of "vous." It is simply the French equivalent of "you all" or "you guys." I had always wondered if the French had a way of saying that. Now, I know. The French, however, go a step farther. They also have "nous autres" or "we all" to emphasize the inclusion of particular groups in the use of "we" as opposed to the generic "on" which is an all-inclusive non-particular "we" and is also rendered as "one, people, you, they, etc." I had come across "nous autres" in high school, but never "vous autres." I haven't nearly exhausted the comprehensiveness of this book. I am sixty years old. I will probably never need another French book in my lifetime. These two should do it quite well.

I already speak French but am rusty. This book is perfect for reviewing and getting back up to speed.. It wouldn't be much help for beginners as a lot of the fundamentals aren't gone over very carefully,

i hadn't believed when i read the reviews about this book,but when i purchased this book,it helped me a lot to learn about french tenses but most importantly french verbs.i think verbs are the real obstacle for learning french. if you want to discern french verbs and tenses you had better buy this book.the thing that made me frustrated about this book was how it badly published. the pages are easily torn apart. yet it is nothing besides how you easily and thoroughly learn a lot about french.

I have taken 2 years of French in college, but I have to say I wish I found this sooner (but still completely satisfied I have it now). It lays out in a clear and rule based form how to handle verbs, meanwhile explaining exceptions in a clear and non-intimidating manner. I love it, and for people who have gone through immersion programs (like me) it is nice - now that you have the basics - to go over everything from a clear and concise standpoint. I highly recommend this book as well as their Ultimate Grammar Review.