Richards Books

This is the story of a thoughtful husband, a good patient, and a courageous man. Anyone interested in things medical or who has an ill loved one will enjoy this book. The author contracted Hepatitis C from a tainted blood transfusion. This disease caused a sort of domino-like effect causing among other things the need for (so far) three liver transplants. While in a coma he was aware of his surroundings to a point. This is a recounting of what he thought was happening to and around him, and what was actually happening. It is fascinating stuff. His compassion for families of other patients is touching. And his ability to lift the shroud of mystery that hides the state of COMA is uplifting. An idea as monumental in life saving potential as either penicillin or the Salk vaccine is PRESUMED CONSENT. The time is now, and hopefully this idea will be implemented in the immediate future.

This is a wonderful book, touching the heart and soul of the reader written by a man who has endured so much and still has so much humor and quick wit in telling his story. Great vision from the patient, watching and feeling, but unable to do anything about the situation at the time. This is extremely well written and a tremendous asset to families that face similar instances with their loved ones.

Richard Darling allows us in on his "coma life" and invites us along on his amazing journey through his life-threatening crisis. Richard is one of millions of Americans who suffer from hep C and is one of the few who has survived three liver transplants. His story is life-affirming and humorous, despite the dire subject matter. This book is for anyone who has faced a medical crisis but most especially for anyone who has had a loved one face a serious medical condition or crisis. Even more importantly, it is the story of some dedicated and compassionate caregivers who have made his journey possible.

Dr. Darling has written a tome of rare insight, dignity, and maturity interspersed with wry humor. He's been to the brink against hepatitis C, liver cancer, diabetes, a heart attack, three liver transplant operations, and more, and embraced his struggle of survival with not just courage, but understanding. Dr. Darling lets his reader experience the serene, surreal life "inside" his coma and, if for no other reason, this very human insight makes this book a literary must for all, and especially for patients who need their spirits uplifted.

ComaLife is Dr. Darling's gripping story of his surreal life "inside" his coma,
which included an angel tabby cat who stayed by his bedside until he was out of
danger and hilarious adventures with Barbra Streisand, Kathy Lee Gifford, Dennis
Rodman, Bill Gates, and other loveable characters. At times while in his coma,
Dr. Darling could see and hear those around him, but he couldn't respond.
Alternating chapters tell his uplifting, real-life struggle of survival against
hepatitis C, cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer, diabetes, a heart attack and
three liver transplant operations. Once you begin ComaLife, it is almost
impossible to put it down. All sorts of emotions are evoked: humor, sadness,
and joy, which contribute to an incredible book. In addition, Dr. Darling shows
great appreciation for caregivers (e.g., his wife, Kress) and how important they
are to the ill. A true gem of a book that is uplifting for all and especially as
a gift for the ill! A book like no other!

Effective execution takes coordinated effort. Why is this seemingly obvious fact so difficult to experience? The authors do an excellent job of illustrating how effective listening provides the starting point for a level of interaction that allows disparate views to be heard and valued.

This book allows me to be more aware of and intentional about, creating converations that search for a meaningful launching pad for strategic and tactical execution.


Jim Canfield
President/COO
Renaissance Executive Forums
San Diego, CA

I was introduced to this book by a colleague at a former employer. If you feel like you are building consensus, driving decisions or winning arguments - only to learn later that nothing is sticking "because of the other guy" - then you owe it to yourself to read this book.

The authors do an excellent job covering the theory of creating an authentic dialog where truth is spoken, beliefs are shared, perspectives understood and alignment and consensus are built. One of the key points is that communicating at this level is not always easy or comfortable, but it is essential to constructive communication.

In terms of format, the authors combine theory with a running fictitious story that is more colorful and detailed than a typical case study. Some may think the story is hokey, but I found it useful and entertaining. It also makes the book a hybrid between the cutesy (and somewhat useless - IMHO) parable format that is raging across business publishing, and pure theory, which can become dry and pedantic.

This is a very helpful book if you need to facilitate meetings to produce business results. It has helped me immensely.

The authors have offered a refreshing and effective model for communicating. The search for an intersection of facts, views, and intent makes incredible sense. I am using this model in all of my work and making progress in creating more value and less waste. I love their vocabulary. Buy this book if you want to make a positive and significant difference in the manner in which you communicate to those you want to influence, inspire and transform.

Connolly and Rianoshek take the view that any issue, no matter how seemingly intractable, can be resolved through effective communication. The ideas and tools in this book back up that view. The writing is clear and the organization will make it available to a variety of learning styles. Excellent book!

This is an excellent book that gives a way for individuals to take difficult problems/situations involving people and use communication to resolve the problem. It is well written with good illustrations.

What's to say? The greatest cartoon ever is out of print and can't be seen by anyone. Thankfully his animated work is available on DVD through Amazon and it's a humbling experience. Those were the first animated cartoons and in some respects they've seldom been equalled. His first one--THE first one--is a shocker, like some amateur building the Taj Mahal on the first try. In terms of raw, fantastic, dizzying, imagination coupled with stunning craftsmanship McCay may have no equal.

If this material is not made available pressure should be exerted somewhere, maybe with the Smithsonian, to release new editions. The lack of availability is almost criminal: like finding out that Don Quixote's gone out of print or something. Really, I'm not being hyperbolic. For all the interest there is in comic art these days, all the Manga, Fantastic Fours and graphic novels, this has to be accepted as the medium's Shakespeare.

Although originally published as a weekly comic strip at the turn of the century, time has hardly diminished the charm or imaginative experiences of Little Nemo. As an unscripted character in his episodic dreams, a little boy named Nemo endeavors to keep up with the developments in "Slumberland" as they rapidly unfold. Recurrent characters show up to join in on the adventures, usually already in progress, and to clue Nemo in on where he is expected to go. As in dreams, the logic is usually skewed, and the storylines quickly gain momentum till they peak in a cataclysmic event that ultimately awakens Little Nemo. The wonderfully illogical development of the dreams are still as fresh today as they were a century ago. The only reminder of the era they came from is the quaint clothing and manner of the characters. The innovative story developments, though, are still uniquely fresh, having come from the visionary mind of Winsor McCay, who is credited with being the father of modern animation.

Long before a little boy and his tiger explored the imagination with wry social commentary and surrealism, Winsor McCay did the same with this amazing series of full page newspaper comics. This is a veritable treasure trove of comics history.

Admittedly, the jokes are not the same as Calvin and Hobbes so do not expect the same feelings. I find that Nemo evokes more feelings of wonder and delight while C and H brings about the hearty "guffaw". Also, the ending of every episode is exactly the same in that Nemo awakes to find the night's adventures were all within his head.

On the other hand, this book gives wonderful background of McCay and his world as well as beautiful reprints of the original prints.

I would heartily recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy, childhood, comics, or the dreams of past days.

Winsor McCay has been forgotten by the mainstream Nostalgia R' US spoon-fed media circus that we are all tapped into. Winsor McCay was a pioneering creative genius. He may not have been the very first motion picture animator but created some of the first animated shorts which featured CHARACTERS. His first was Gertie the Dinosaur. McCay would actually tour with his short and interact with the dinosaur on the screen, making it roll over and other tricks. McCay's Little Nemo is a feast

for the eyes. His eye for detail gives us a window to the early days of the 20th Century. The characters are completly fantastic. He was decades ahead of his time.

Winsor McCay's "Little Nemo in Slumberland" is a rare combination of artistry and imagination that deserves to be considered the first classic comic strip. "The Yellow Kid" came first, but it never demonstrated the superb craftsmanship of McCay's work, which is done in a distinctive "art nouveau" style that presages the coming of surrealism. Within the frames of his story McCay was able to create illusions of vast size and space, showing a word that was remarkably futuristic. Each of Little Nemo's weekly adventures told of a dream of the tousle-haired boy (of about six?) and concluded with him falling out of bed or waking up. McCay's son Robert served as the model for Nemo. Before working on the Slumberland strips McCay had experimented with other comics including "Little Sammy Sneeze," "Hungry Henriette," "Poor Jake," "Tales of Jungle Imps," and "Dream of the Rarebit Fiend" (the last one under the pseudonym Silas), but none of them even hinted at the splendor of "Little Nemo." In 1909 McCay would go on to create "Gertie the Dinosaur," the first commercially successful animated cartoon, which is probably how most people know of McCay's work. But that can only be because they have yet to be exposed to this comic strip.

The "Little Nemo in Slumberland" comics in this book originally appeared in the "New York Herald" Sunday color supplement from October 15, 1905 to March 31, 1907 and are faithfully reproduced in their original colors from rare, vintage file-copy pages in the hands of a few choice collectors. There is even a special strip that appeared in the European edition of the "Herald" that was never printed in the U.S. The strip continued until 1911 and those strips are published in the other volumes in this series. In these early adventures Little Nemo first enters Slumberland and learns to cope with his unpredictable flying bed, pursues the beautiful Princess of Slumber, searches for the castle of King Morpheus, and endures the ministrations of Dr. Pill. Nemo also meets up with the devilish Flip, a green-faced clown in a plug hat and ermine collared jacket, who starts off always trying to summon the Dawn and wake Nemo from his dreams but then becomes our little heroes boon companion in his Slumberland adventures which involved an impressive array of strange giants, beautiful mermaids, humongous elephants, mysterious space creatures, exotic parades, fantastic dirigible rides, a jolly green dragon, and anything else McCay could imagine.

By both artistic and historical standards "Little Nemo in Slumberland" is the first truly great comic strip. When you look at the great strips that followed, such as George Herriman's "Krazy Kat," George McManus' "Bringing Up Father," Bud Fisher's "Mutt and Jeff," and Frank King's "Gasoline Alley," they are all decidedly different from what McCay was doing, although the use of "art nouveau" interiors and zany byplay by McManus is clearly an homage to "Little Nemo" as far as I am concerned. There is a sense in which those who see nothing similar appearing on the funny pages until Bill Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes" have a point, although I would acknowledge Snoopy's imaginative life in "Peanuts" as well.

This volume includes "Perchance to Dream," an essay by Richard Marschall, who I think was the single biggest contributor of the strips reprinted in this volume. The essay provides a concise summary of McCay's life and career, with examples of some of his earlier work, "Little Nemo" postcards, and an incredibly detailed editorial cartoon. But the most important thing is that Marschall's efforts have preserved the premier American comic strip for the enjoyment of posterity. There has never been a more magical comic strip. Never.

This is the omnibus edition of the first three Richard Bolitho novels by Alexander Kent (Midshipman Bolitho, Bolitho and the Avenger, and Band of Brothers). The first two were written decades ago, but Band of Brothers only a couple years ago. I am not sure why kent waited so long to wrap up Bolitho's career as a Midshipman. Well, he finally did and this is the way it should have been from the start. Since each book by itself was rather short, this collection is not too big. We get a clear picture of our hero as he begins his ascent up the rank ladder. There is a lot of action. For anyone who wants battles and plot twists, this is the series for you. Kent doesn't bore the reader with unnecessary descriptions. Everything moves along at a good pace. A great introduction to the naval fiction genre.

Alexander Kent makes you believe your in the late 18th century aboard a ship of the line in the Royal Navy. Definitely recommend the book.

I recently got "The Complete Midshipman Bolitho," my first taste of the Bolitho series, and I am impressed. Having read completely through the Aubrey-Maturin 21-book series writtten by that most iconographic of historical fiction writers, Patrick O'Brian, I was prepared for something of a letdown in this series. Not so! I have been turning pages compulsively since I opened the cover. This book combines the first three chapters in Richard Bolitho's naval career ("Midshipman Bolito'" "Midshipman Bolitho and The Avenger" and "Band of Brothers"), and I'm left wanting more.

It is clear that I will have to chew my way through the entire series in order to satisfy my craving for Richard Bolitho's further adventures.

Wonderful book. Thanks for sending it in a timely manner. Have enjoyed all the books in this series. Alexander Kent is one of the best authors and would highly recommend any of his books.

I have sworn off tobacco and alcohol. I hate illegal substances and have surrendered to complete sobriety. Sugar and chocolate, too much coffee, excessive red meat, more than modest amounts of dairy products, obsessive exercise and other anti-social habits--I have put them all behind me.

But please, dear Lord, please allow me a singular pleasure in life. Let me revel in by Bolitholism and enjoy each adventure ad infinitum. Amen.

This book was written before virus prevention was fashionable, yet everything in the book regarding delivery systems, methods and policies are still 100% true. I recently re-read it and find that by taking some simple precautions, your risk is minimized. (Note: This reviewer was a contributor to the book)

I've read a lot of books on the subject of computer viruses, but this one is simply the best. It's easy to read, understandable, and teaches you how to protect yourself from viruses without using expensive software.

I've read a lot of books on the subject of computer viruses, but this one is simply the best. It's easy to read, understandable, and teaches you how to protect yourself from viruses without using expensive software.

Although I am no longer in the computer biz, this handbook was easy to read and insightful. This is suggested reading for those discovering the wonderful world of viruses. Check it out.

oh, Dear. virus is just jocking

Nat is now elevated to Master & Commander and given Job-Captain cy in charge of a corvette as escort to a group of whalers bound for Greenland. As well as the usual excellent sail evolutions, there is wonderful description of below-decks life here, as well as incidental details (some qory) of whaling boats and the hunt.

Several plots run together in this story; the threat of privateers; the differing agendas of the whalers; insubordination in the officers; and a pastor with a past. All are handled by a Captain who has matured as much as his author, in a way that has neither the bluffness of Jack Aubrey, nor the asperity of Hornblower.
Excellent reading; but why can I not find Mr. Woodman on the average bookstore's shelves? *****

I've now read the first five books in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series and continue to be impressed with the author's command of the English language and his colorful characterizations.

In reading these books I get a strong feeling of having been with Drinkwater on his adventures; such is the extent of Woodman's talent for description and characterization.

Even minor characters are not neglected. For example, here's a quote from page 167 describing the gunner's reaction to an unusual order: "The gunner frowned, raised an eyebrow and compressed his toothless mouth. Then, without a word, knuckled his forehead and waddled below."

Gratuitous characterizations such as that demonstrate that Woodman misses no opportunity to animate his characters.

Even though Drinkwater at this stage of his "life" is 40 years old and captain of a ship, the reader can sense that he's still learning how to be a good commander. He hurts from his old wounds and misses his wife and children. In other words, he seems real.

I hate to compare Bernard Cornwell's Richard Sharpe books unfavorably to another author's series because the Sharpe books are entertaining, and I have read nearly all of them. But Sharpe is almost a cartoon character in comparison to Drinkwater. I often skip over much of the fighting scenes in Cornwell's books, but Woodman's power of description makes the fight scenes a pleasure to read.

I expect to read the rest of Woodman's Drinkwater novels in chronological order.

The book is in three parts, in the first of which Acting Captain Drinkwater must establish his leadership in a new command and lead a convoy of hard-bitten and angry whalers onto the Greenland whaling grounds. The second concerns the hunt for whales and, despite its misfortunes, how Drinkwater slips into a yacht cruise mentality. The third part returns us to the fact they are all at war with the French, who are rumored to have sent out corsairs during the false peace of 1802 to lay in wait and cripple the British economy when the world war resumed.

I found this one of the most interesting in the series. For all the Napoleonic era novels out there, this contains the first discussion of whaling in the North Atlantic I recall (and only a few other series include the more familiar Pacific whalers). Also, Drinkwater essays humor on occasion, despite his author's rather grim prose and concern with political machinations. Drinkwater often struggles with scepticism and faith, God, and duty to the navy, abetted here by a pastor/surgeon who is philosophically inclined and by a righteously subversive whaling captain. Woodman describes the arctic well, but only occasionally does he evoke its beauty and terror. Pay very close attention to the beginning chapters for there are clues to anticipating a final mystery. If you understand sailing commands and constantly track the state of the wind through the story then all the ship maneuvers make sense; otherwise ignore them as nautical "period atmosphere" and be poorer for it.

We get to hear more sail commands than usual, thanks to an insecure but punctilious 3rd lieutenant, and also learn in great detail the meaning of "jury-rigged." What strange names some fictional captains have: Drinkwater, Hornblower-and quite the opposite of their true characters.

Woodman's Drinkwater series has followed a consistent formula. At first, there is an introduction of the characters followed by a first action in which Drinkwater shows his fire as a military man. Then the characters and situations develop until there is a climactic battle that requires Drinkwater's unique skills for good to triumph over evil. The Corvette is somewhat of a departure from the established formula and the result is perhaps Woodman's finest entry since the first of the series.

The Corvette finds Nathaniel Drinkwater recovered from wounds following a failed attack on Boulogne, an action that has occurred after events in The Bomb Vessel. Drinkwater is given command as a job-captain, a temporary position, to guard the Greenland whaling fleet. He must overcome hostility from the whalers and guard against French attempts to disrupt the vital whaling operation. The crew must be molded into a fighting force and elements overcome. All of these demands are suitable challenges for the skills of Nathaniel Drinkwater.

Woodman has enriched The Corvette with a fascinating cast of characters. Tregembo and Mr. Q are back. We are also introduced to whalers some of whom are Quakers. In addition, Drinkwater provides passage for a Quaker missionary en route to Greenland. The Corvette features a marvelous discussion of theology between the learned Quaker and the more pragmatic fighting man Drinkwater. Although the discussion is set in the early 19th century, it is as relevant today as it was then. Also, the morality of killing such magnificent creatures as whales is briefly questioned, I suspect more as a nod to modern readers than to reflect historical accuracy. One great bit of dramatic tension is between the surgeon and Drinkwater. The surgeon sees Drinkwater as being responsible for the horrible slaughter. Drinkwater, while regretting the slaughter, sees it as unavoidable if homes and hearths are to be protected.

The Corvette is first and foremost a sea story. Woodman continues to provide extensive details and even includes a sketch of a repair at sea. Unfortunately, Woodman does assume that the reader has a detailed knowledge of the hardware of sailing ships. If this novel were reprinted, the publisher would do well to include a glossary of terms and a sketch of the vessel. Like all books in the series, The Corvette has a map that shows where the action takes place. The details and problems of sailing in the arctic in wooden vessels are described well. On the other hand descriptions of clothing were sparse. In particular, I was curious to know if the sailors remained barefoot in the high arctic.

I suspect that The Corvette was not the novel that Woodman set out to write. The raid on Boulogne and serious injuries after The Bomb Vessel all seem to be major events in the series. Perhaps the failed raid was intended as a precursor to The Corvette or it was intended to stand on its own. Whatever the intent, it appears that excluding the Boulogne action from the series led to The Corvette being different in structure than the earlier entries. The Corvette is a very effective change of pace.

There is little violent action at the start of The Corvette, perhaps due to the missing Boulogne scenes, but Woodman skillfully builds up the tension until the climactic battle scenes that are some of his best. Woodman is particularly adept at describing the confusion of battle. The reader sees the battles from Drinkwater's eyes. Often it's hard to tell who is winning and who is losing. Perhaps that's part of Woodman's message, that everybody loses in war. Whatever the case, The Corvette is one of Woodman's finest entries in the Drinkwater series and well worth a reprint.

This is book five in the Drinkwater series, and was a bit of a disappointment after some of the earlier books. Once again, the author skips forward. Book four, "The Bomb Vessel," ended in July 1801 after the First Battle of Copenhagen. This book covers a relatively brief period from May to November 1803, falling into the tendency that Patrick O'Brien had in some of his later novels of putting a little too much action into too short a period of time (sometimes moving ships about the ocean at fantastic rates of speed).

At the beginning of this story, we find Drinkwater on the beach, recovering from a wound received between novels. Admiral Jervis (now Earl St. Vincent and First Lord of the Admiralty) was known for promoting officers based on ability rather than interest, and he gives Drinkwater (now a commander) temporary command of the twenty-gun sloop Melusine after the ship's captain in incapacitated and resigns (why this would only be a temporary command is not entirely clear - Jervis had the authority to promote officers).

Action finds Drinkwater guarding a whaling fleet in the Greenland Sea, dealing with French privateers and English renegades, and seeking a French base. There is considerable detail about the operation of the whaling fleet and the hazards involved in arctic whaling. John Nicol, in his autobiography, gave a brief description of a voyage on a whaling ship to the Greenland Sea, and noted his resolution not to make another.

Like other novels in the series, characters in this novel carry over into the next.

From the very first chapter, the author made it seem like he was speaking directly to me. This book is definitely for someone who is interested in Costume Design and wants to know absolutely everything about it, in detail (not for someone already in the field and familiar with how it works). It's not just a book that I'll read and then retire to my bookshelf. As I continue to aspire to be a costume disigner, this book will stay by my side for a long time. The ideas he gives you in the first chaper on how to break down the script is easy to learn, with practice. I urdge anyone who is interested in this field to buy this book first.

A graduation requirement for my high school is a year-long senior research project on a subject we choose. This project includes a year-long research portfolio, a piece of work applying the research, as well as a 20-30 minute presentation. I decided to research costume design for films. The first book I found was this book by Richard La Motte, and it was the most helpful book out of all 27 that I read for my research project. This book not only tells of costume designing itself, it shows what goes on behind the curtain, the business of it, the organization and preparation involved in costume design, etc. This book truly is a costume designer's manual. There is so much helpful information written in a clear way, there are examples in the book that help the reader understand the information even more clearly, as well as some designs by the author himself. This book helped me ace my Senior Project, and also inspired me to study and pursue costume design for films.

I found this book to be incredibly useful. Even though I work in stage theater, its information is immediately applicable for all levels of productions. It has tips for organizational skills, outlines of how things work, who does what, advice on how to manage your time, working with actors, dealing with unexpected problems, etc.

I've read it several times and each time I get something new out of it. Read this book, apply it, and you will be a shining star that gets hired again and again for productions.

An excellent "how to" for anyone in the costume or fashion business, or someone wanting to know more about the inside scoop of what it takes to make the costumes in a movie come together. Well written. Gave me a better appreciation for how movies look.

This book is probably THE most informative book I have ever read, irregardless of the subject. Everthing you need to know about costume design is here, in this book. Critical information when contemplating a career, that you cannot get in a classroom. The author has been there, worked in the "trenches", for years, has had a successful career, and is now willing to share years of accumulated knowledge. I was amazed at all I gained from this book.

A book built from the combined insights of two of the most successful marketers in the world. This is a tremendous resource for building the power brands of the future.

A little over a year ago I found this book while searching for a tool that could help me understand and communicate in my new boss' style. Some doubts had already been expressed about the success of our team, putting my job in jeopardy. I read this book over a weekend. The application of these concepts brought immediate results, particularly because it allowed to communicate a full, long term strategic approach to what had been perceived as tactics. The results on our brand were exceptional and my boss recognized and compensated very well my efforts.

How long has it been since you came across a book that you want to read twice? This book, with its eye-catching cover featuring the title as an embossed leather patch on the backside of a pair of blue jeans, is that kind of book. Authors Richard D. Czerniawski and Michael W. Maloney created this organized guide for marketing professionals and wrote it in a way that lets every reader learn. You are always told what you are about to learn, you're tested on that knowledge and then you are given real-life examples that reinforce the lesson. The authors debunk "established" methods, which they find condescending to marketing professionals. They believe that most marketers are tactically strong, but need to learn more about the strategic requirements of creating brand loyalty. We at getAbstract strongly recommend this book to senior managers, marketers, academics and - if you want to be savvy, too - consumers.

"Creating Brand Loyalty" delivers on it's promise. It offers proven step-by-step advice on how to position brands as well as how to work effectively with creative professionals to manage the expression of brands in advertising. Czerniawski and Maloney have distilled their considerable experience as highly paid consultants to leading consumer packaged goods brands into a practical and highly informed guide to the art and science of positioning.

The guidance, tools, templates and forms provided in the book give you everthing you need to develop a positioning for your brand and to communicate your brand's essential value proposition. Advertising agencies and public relations firms should pay their customers to read this book!

Czerniawski and Maloney developed a great strategic roadmap for brand positioning as well as creative agency management. Everyone in brand/product management should read this book. It provides a strong strategic structure to manage and develop your brands for long term success. I've given copies to everyone on my brand team.

I've read many books of this type and this one is by far the most comprehensive. It is not just a laundry list of tools and techniques, it also provides a greater guidance on the best attitude and mental approach to make the book useful. The author himself says repeatedly, not just in humility but in acknowledgement that there may be better yet unidentified methods, to not just believe everything he says but to try out all the tools in real life, and to improve upon them as necessary. At times the book reads somewhat like a tedious manual, but this is completely counterbalanced and outweighed by the abundance of information and meaningful examples. This is a lifetime reference for anyone interested in making their life more interesting via applied creativity.

Creative Problem Solver's Toolbox: A Complete Course in the Art of Creating Solutions to Problems of Any Kind
by Richard Fobes

Writing a creative problem solving book is pretty easy, but putting the ideas down & bringing them alive - in the form of workable tools - against a backdrop of real world problems, call for a versatile author with myriad pre-occupations. In this case, Richard Fobes fits the billing perfectly as he has worked as a writer, interactive multimedia software designer, systems analyst, computer programmer, inventor, electronics technician, hardware store clerk, & dance instructor. He has spent five years researching & writing this book.

Many of the author's early ideas have been published during the four years he wrote the Creative Problem Solving Tips column of the Focus newsletter from the American Creativity Association. [Readers can access the tips via the author's solutioncreative website.] That's how I got to know about Richard Fobes & his inspiring book.

A few things intrigued me when I first encountered the book during the early nineties:

1. A catchy subtitle, A complete Course in the Art of Creating Solutions to Problems of Any Kind;
2. A radial outline of the book at the end of the book (I wish all authors can follow his example!);
3. A portrait of a lady next to Einstein on the front cover. I didn't know her until I read about her: She was Hypatia, who invented a hydrometer which measures fluid density. She lived in Alexandria, Egypt, from 370 AD to 415 AD. The author has deliberately put up her portrait as a reminder that women also innovate! Bravo!
4. There are sixty five ingenious tools for solving problems in the book;

Upon reading it, I found it to be a very user-friendly book. There are a lot of examples & exercises in a variety of real world problem settings.

Personally, I have applied many of the tools in the book. At the time I had acquired it, I had just started my own strategy consulting business as well as my learning resource store. Being a novice entrepreneur, the book served in many ways as my problem solving advisor. In fact, the book was also part of my store inventory during the early years.

For the benefit of readers, I append below the table of contents:

1. Opening the Toolbox;
2. Welcome Your New Ideas;
3. Reconsidering Your Goals;
4. Exploring Your Many Alternatives;
5. Refining Your Ideas;
6. Thinking in Alternate Ways;
7. Thinking Dimensionally;
8. Understanding Clarity;
9. Considering Your Goals Some More;
10. Taking Action;
11. Using the Toolbox;
12. Closing the Toolbox;

In particular, I like the author's observations & arguments in the book:

- goals influence thinking in surprising & subtle ways & they expand possibilities;
- besides weight & money, other dimensions that defy being measured such as love, risk, assertiveness are a part of virtually every real problem;
- a failure to reach a clear understanding lies at the root of most unsolved problems;
- thinking visually, thinking in concepts & using intuition enhance the problem solving process;

My end anaylsis of this book is this: An excellent primer if you want to revv up & sharpen your problem solving skills. It's really a toolbox! You can't go to the office without it!

[I am very glad & also feel proud for the author, as his book has been translated into Chinese, Russian, Indonesian, Japanese & Korean. Watch out the Chinese!]

Creative problem solving is my passion, as well as the crux of what I do for a living. I was a skilled problem-solver even before I bought this book. And I have other excellent tools that have made me a lot of money.

So why am I recommending this book so highly? Because it's taken my problem-solving abilities to an even higher level. It's complete and practical...and less expensive than any of the other tools I've used.

If you want to drastically increase your ability to create solutions to all kinds of problems, I can't think of a single reason why you should do anything other than...buy this book.

Even after reading this recommendation, you'll be pleasantly surprised when you receive the book.

This book is both practical and useful in giving you the ability to create creative solutions to any type of problem in any field from family problems to business to science. This isn't one of those cutesy mind game books either. It gives you exercises and tips to not only create good solutions, but to create solutions that are useful, compared to creative solutions that are useless (who wants those?) Excellent. I highly recommend no matter your age, occupation, or location. The information in this book is timeless. Also a good book related to this for those who are into science, check out Robert Scott Root-Bernstein's book Discovering.

I think the saying about what kind of exercise machine to buy certainly applies to books on creativity as well, i.e., "Get the one you'll use!" My keen interest in enhancing my creativity has led me to investigate numerous creativity tools & techniques in the form of software, card decks, lists, and books. The result of my research is that I use *this* book's tools & techniques before any other. Sometimes I also make use of other resources for creativity, but I always begin with this book. Why? For me, the techniques usually "Hit the nail on the head," consistenly helping me to not just solve a particular challenge, but to widen my perspective on the problem so that I'm more confident that I'm solving the "real" problem. This book also offers me the most user-friendly experience (compared to other resources), as the examples interspersed between the techniques are typically fascinating and instructive.

The bottom line is that, for me, this book is the best single source of the most useful creativity tools & techniques, and at the least cost compared to other resources. I don't think you can beat it!

CRIMSON TIDE is an exciting story that takes place during a possible nuclear war with Russia. A nuclear submarine captain and his second in command dispute an unconcluded radio transmission that could have said, "Fire your missiles on Russia" or "Come back to base, Russia has surrendered". As each of them tries to do what he thinks is right, you wait for the suspenseful conclusion. This book was worthy of becoming a blockbuster movie. If you like militaristic and exciting books, put CRIMSON TIDE on your book list.

This story is still the king of the techno-thrillers. Finally got around to reading CRIMSON TIDE's book version, and just like the film, it's simply amazing the amount of action that's contained within these pages. I liked the detailed character analysis of the Russian enemy, something the movie was lacking, and the nuclear launch protocol is right there to read over and over. Is a sequel in the works?

CRIMSON TIDE was one of the best submarine warfare books that I have ever read. With it's non-stop action from beginning to end I would recomend this book to anyone. I was expecting a good book but I finished it in 2 days. I got more than I expected to get and I will read more of Henrick's books in the near future!

I loved the movie version, and was surprised to find that the novel had an incredible amount of new story material. The book helped clear up the motivation of the Russians responsible for the coup. Because of the complexity of the plot, this book is a must, and I find myself reading it over and over, learning new details w/ each study. I rank this story right up there w/ the great classics, and applaud Mr. Henrick on another job well done.

This book (and movie) is talking about leadership, decision making, conflicts of role, conflicts of policy. Ramsey (the captain) and Hunter (the executive officer) were all good soldiers, they both executed what they thought were correct. But different leadership style, different belief and grey area of policy made them confronted each other.

A good book (and movie), an interesting story that can make you think a lot. A lecturer of an university in Hong Kong even suggested his students to use this movie for leadership & organizational behavior analysis.