Stewart Books

Straight to the Bottom Line makes a compelling argument for why procurement must transform itself into fully integrated supply management. Take care of your supply network-its objectives, strategies, processes and data linkages-and you generate competitive advantage for your organization. In other words, you create value for shareholders and customers.

Although the talk of the shift from the purely tactical to the strategic has been around for many years now, actual implementation of strategically focused supply chain has simply not happened at many organizations. Why? The authors of this book are eloquently blunt: a "lack of understanding of the opportunities presented by supply-side performance" at the senior executive level.

And what is the sine qua non of a truly strategic supply chain? Leadership and understanding from senior executives. So where to begin? Slipping Straight to the Bottom Line into the executive suites would be a good start.

The strength of this text is its clear and lucid presentation of a "step-by-step" roadmap for executives on how to implement supply management transformation that directly produces bottom-line results. Illustrating straight-forward principles with compelling examples, it shows how executives can create an environment in which they can expect to see improved performance quarter over quarter and year over year.

If I have one criticism of the book it is that its subtitle might suggest that it can be overlooked by the non-executive. That would be a mistake. Yes, it's a "must read" for the senior executive, but it's also an essential text for anyone, including the currently mid-career procurement or supply chain professional, who plans to be one.

Vicki McBryde, BA, CPP, CPM

Straight to the Bottom Line is an actual "how to" book for CEOs as well as a great tool for management to sell the value of Purchasing / Supply Chain to the CEO's. This book is a "must have" for the corporate library.

In today's world where "outsourcing" and a "flat" world are becoming commonplace, it is essential that companies recognize the strategic nature of their procurement and supply organizations and taylor them to manage their external/purchased assets. This book provides examples of supply chain management experiences, both good and bad, and practical tools for implementing effective supply chain management processes. An important book for supply chain specialists, it also should be read by every CEO, CFO and COO, so that they can take benefit from supply chain management in their companies, before they are confronted by competitors who have preempted them in the implementaton of modern supply chain management practices.

The authors are an outstanding group of well-qualified experts in the field. They have assembled an impressive combination of significant examples and techniques that should benefit any enterprise (business, government, educational) that deals with external purchases.

Straight to the Bottom Line explains well to the layman why Western companies need a new strategy to cope with the massive shift to outsourcing and Asian manufacturers. I particularly enjoyed the chapter ("A Tale of Two Spenders") describing the lack of collaboration in the American automotive industry in the past 15 years and how that approach impacted Detroit's inability to establish an electronic communications and transactions platform (Covisint). It's a good business book. Very clearly written.

I have been in the field of Supply Chain Management for over 15 years. As such, I have reviewed and purchased many of the text on the subject. This book represents a very easy read that crystallizes many of the concepts into useful and understandable formats. Also, many of the current myths are effectively addressed and excellent examples are provided. I would recommned it both for experienced practitioners as well as the uninitiated.

A novel that tells the story of an Armenian Family during the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The story is very well written and immediately captivates its audience. Once you get into it, you won't be able to put it down. It becomes part of you. Once you finish reading it, it will stay with you forever.

The Definitive Historical Novel
A Summer Without Dawn is the best and definitive historical novel ever written on the Armenian Genocide during the First World War. Its spirited, vibrant writing, frequent twists and happenings, abundance of events and unusual love stories, ``secrets of the heart`` keep the reader`s interest at the boiling point till the last page. A fabulous read for lovers of good literature and history--one is educated while being entertained. It is bound to become a great classic in its genre. . .

A Summer Without Dawn is a credit to the historical genre. The authors have created a great beautiful story, providing the reader with long hours of intermingled pleasure and anxiety. This work is quite without parallel in its richness of detail, despite the fact that its action unfolds during the First World War. The storytelling genius of the authors and the romantic plot that is developed with such superb skill forbids the reader to put the novel down until the last page.

This new and sweeping epic about the Armenian Genocide of the First World War will surely start a trend. The authors have managed to fashion something of compelling beauty and importance

This saga of 20th century`s first ethnic slaughter is written by the heart and guts. It by far supersedes Werfel`s Forty Days of Musa Dagh which has been elevated almost to a reputed scripture about the Armenian`s unyielding spirit. An epic diligently faithful to history. This extraordinary novel gets under the reader`s skin and seizes your imagination until you finish reading the last word. Extraordinarily cinematic, brimmingly eventful, exotique, replete with suspense and fabulous descriptions with a flowing literary narrative. No wonder the novel became an instant best-seller when it first appeared. It is bound to become a classic of its genre and hopefully a great movie soon.

Nice book. But in this edition, there is no chapter title on each page, so it's a little difficult to track the chapters.

There is at least one author who may remind you of Stephen Leacock, namely Garrison Keillor of Lake Wobegon fame, but Leacock should be recognized as the ultimate master of quaint, bucolic humor. Leacock, who died in 1944, became arguably the most prominent Canadian humorist of his day (and probably of all time). What is ironic about that claim is that Leacock worked for most of his life as a professor of economics. We do not usually equate economics with humor, preferring to think of that profession as one of bow ties and supply and demand charts. Throw that presumption out the window and pick up a copy of "Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town," Leacock's best known work available through the New Canadian Library series.

For me, one of the funniest sections of the book was the introduction written by Leacock, where he gives you some background about himself and his profession. This short piece of writing quickly gives you an idea of the type of humor you will find in the actual sketches: a very sly, very quiet and clever type of humor that often takes a while to sink in. Leacock does not rely on rim shot jokes or manic posturing in his writings. Instead, he creates the fictional Canadian town of Mariposa and populates it with small town archetypes that are wonders to behold.

All of the characters are hilarious in their own way: Mr. Smith, the proprietor of the local hotel and bar, full of schemes to earn money while trying to get his liquor license back. Then there is Jefferson Thorpe, the barber involved in financial schemes that may put him on the level of the Morgans and the Rockefellers. The Reverend Mr. Drone presides over the local Church of England in Mariposa, a man who reads Greek as easy as can be but laments his lack of knowledge about logarithms and balancing the financial books of the church. Peter Pupkin, the teller at the local bank, has a secret he wants no one to know about, but which eventually comes out while he is courting the daughter of the town judge. All of these characters, and several others, interact throughout the sketches.

Leacock has the ability to turn a story, to make it take a crazy, unexpected twist even when you are looking for such a maneuver. That he accomplishes this in stories that rarely run longer than twenty pages is certainly a sign of great talent. By the time you reach the end of the book, you know these people as though you lived in the town yourself, and you know what makes them tick.

Despite all of the crazy antics in Mariposa, Leacock never lets the reader lose sight of the fact that these are basically good people living good lives. There seems to be a lot of feeling for the citizens of Mariposa on the part of Leacock, which comes to a head in the final sketch in the collection, "L'Envoi. The Train to Mariposa," where he recounts traveling back to the town after being away for years, with all of the attendant emotions that brings as recognizable landmarks come into view and the traveler realizes that his little town is the same as when he left it years before.

I suspect there is a historical importance to "Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town." These writings first appeared in 1912, a time when many people living in the bigger Canadian cities still remembered life in a small town. In addition to the humorous aspects of the book, the author includes many descriptive passages concerning the atmosphere and layout of Mariposa, something instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up in such a place. Nostalgia for the simpler life of the small town probably played a significant role in the book's success.

I look forward to reading more Stephen Leacock. While much of the humor in the book is not belly laugh funny, it does provide one with a deep satisfaction of reading clever humor from an author who knows how to tickle the funny bone. You do not need to be Canadian to enjoy this wonderful book.

no hype. i couldn't stop laughing as i was reading this. and i mean laughing out loud. in a cafe. with everyone staring at me. but i didn't care. and i couldn't help it if i did. it's just too hilarious.

Like the heading says, this is the funniest book I've ever read. Leacock was a comic genius and this is his best work. Buy it, read it, love it.

Perhaps the finest comment about Stephen Leacock in the last half century is that "he is a
Will Rogers for the 90's."

Rogers, of course, is one of the most beloved of American humorists -- he was killed in
1935 when his plane crashed near Point Barrow, Alaska. Leacock died on March 28, 1944.
Like Rogers, he had been Canada's favorite humorist for decades.

Sunshine Sketches is about Orillia, Ontario, Canada, where Leacock had his summer home
on Brewery Bay (he once wrote, "I have known that name, the old Brewery Bay, to make
people feel thirsty by correspondence as far away as Nevada.") His home is now maintained
as a historic site by the town of Orillia. I lived there for almost 30 years, and the people of Orillia are still much the same as Leacock portrayed them in 1912.

These stories about various personalities in town were printed in the local newspaper in the
1910 - 1912 era, before being compiled into this book which established Leacock's literary
fame. The people portrayed really lived, though some are composites; the events are of a
kindly humorist looking at the foibles of small town life. Once they came out in book form
and soared to national popularity, everyone in town figured the rest of the country was
laughing at them because of Leacock's book and he was royally hated in Orillia to the end
of his life.

Gradually, and this took decades, Orillians came to recognize that genius had walked
amongst them for several decades. (It's hard to recognize genius when your own ego is so
inflated.) Orillia now awards the annual "Leacock Medal for Humor" -- Canada's top literary
prize for the best book of humour for the preceding year.

Leacock died when I was six, but I did know his son, who still lived in town. I delivered
papers to the editor of the "Newspacket," Leacock's name for the Orillia Packet and Times
(where I worked) and the rival Newsletter. The Packet had the same editor in the 1940's as
when Leacock wrote about him in 1910.

But the book is more than Orillia; it is a wonderfully kind and humorous description of life in
many small towns. The American artist Norman Rockwell painted the same kinds of scenes;
it is the type of idyllic urban life so many of us keep longing to find again in our hectic
urban world.

Leacock realized the book was universal in its description of small towns, and in the preface
he wrote "Mariposa is not a real town. On the contrary, it is about seventy or eighty of
them. You may find them all the way from Lake Superior to the sea, with the same square
streets and the same maple trees and the same churches and hotels, and everywhere the
sunshine of the land of hope."

True enough, which gives this book continuing appeal nearly a century after it was written.
All great writing is about topics you know, and as a longtime resident Leacock knew Orillia
well. As for Leacock himself, he wrote, "I was born at Swanmoor, Hants., England, on Dec.
30, 1869. I am not aware that there was any particular conjunction of the planets at the
time, but should think it extremely likely."

He says of his education, "I survived until I took the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in
1903. The meaning of this degree is that the recipient of instruction is examined for the last
time in his life, and is pronounced completely full. After this, no new ideas can be imparted
to him."

In reviewing Charles Dickens' works in 1934, Leacock wrote what could well be his own
epitaph: "Transitory popularity is not proof of genius. But permanent popularity is." The fact
his writings are still current illustrates the nature of his writing.

In contrast to the sometimes sardonic humor of modern times, Sunshine Sketches reflects
Leacock's idea that "the essence of humor is human kindness." Or, in the same vein, "Humor
may be defined as the kindly contemplation of the incongruities of life, and the artistic
expression thereof."

Granted, this book is not what he recognized to have widespread appeal to modern readers.
In his own words, "There are only two subjects that appeal nowadays to the general public,
murder and sex; and, for people of culture, sex-murder." Yet, anyone reading this will
remember scenes from it for much longer than anything from a murder mystery.

In today's world, where newspapers almost daily track Prime Minister Tony Blair's dash to
the political right, Leacock wrote, "Socialism won't work except in Heaven where they don't
need it and in Hell where they already have it."

He described his own home as follows, "I have a large country house -- a sort of farm
which I carry on as a hobby . . . . Ten years ago the deficit on my farm was about a
hundred dollars; but by well-designed capital expenditure and by greater attention to
details, I have got it into the thousands." Sounds familiar to today's farm policies ?

It's what I mean by this being a timeless work.

Leacock himself noted, when talking about good literature, "Personally, I would sooner have
written 'Alice in Wonderland' than the whole of the 'Encyclopedia Britannica'." This is his
'Alice' and it well deserves to be favorably compared to Lewis Carroll's work.

By all measures, it is still the finest Canadian book ever written.

Thank you Stew Friedman! This work is engaging, enlightening, and inspirational--giving us all insight into what it means to be a 'Total Leader.' It answers the fundamental question most people ask about how to integrate all of the various pieces of our lives. I especially enjoy hearing the stories of the Total Leadership participants, and how they've grown and are able to see the world in a different light after going through the program!

I'm definitely sold on this Total Leadership Program! However, it is, not without constant work and reevaluation, as Friedman notes, that we can achieve both a meaningful and professionally successful life. I recommend this book to anyone, especially women and those in transition, as a useful guide about how to structure your life in a meaningful and productive way. It certainly helps me rethink the things that are important to me in my day to day life. :)

I wish this book had been available 20 years ago when I was a senior-level corporate executive, struggling without much success to balance everything in my life. At that time, I had a large corporate staff to supervise and was married and the father of four teenagers, three sons and a daughter. Moreover, I was actively involved in several non-profit organizations. Finally, whenever possible, I tried to "squeeze" into my already busy life a occasional round of golf, a visit to one of the local art museums, "going out" to see a film. What I should have done -- but failed to do -- is what Stewart Friedman recommends in this book: to reflect on and then explore (through a four-step process of discovery) the relative importance of four domains in my life (i.e. work, home, community, and self) and determine (a) whether or not the goals I was pursuing in each were in synch, (b) in synch with the other goals, and (c) and how satisfied I was with what was happening in each and all domains. That was then...

Now, here's my take on a few of Friedman's key points.

1. Most people (including business leaders) function in the aforementioned domains. Once each has been measured, he challenge is to make whatever modifications are necessary to establish and then sustain harmony between and among them. "The whole fits together elegantly."

2. According to Friedman, "total" leaders possess great strength because they do what they love, drawing upon the resources of their entire (four-domain) life. By acting with authenticity, they are creating value for themselves, their families, their businesses, and their world. By acting with integrity, they satisfy their craving for a sense of connection, for coherence in disparate parts of their lives, and for the peace of mind that comes from strictly and consistently adhering to a code of values. Meanwhile, they "keep a results-driven focus while providing maximum flexibility (choice in how, when, and where things get done.) They have the courage to experiment with new arrangements and communications tools to better meet the expectations of people who depend on them."

3. At the same time, a "total" leader does everything she or he can to help others (at work, at home, in the community and for themselves) to become aware of whatever changes may be necessary within her or his own domains; to have a sense of urgency about making those modifications; to decide to commit to appropriate action that will create for each a different, better future; to solve whatever problems encountered when pursuing the giving goals, meanwhile sustaining commitment despite any barriers, delays, distractions, etc. Total leaders also ensure that "people who depend on them" have the support and encouragement they may need by celebrating incremental successes while resisting "slippage."

4. In Chapter 6, Friedman urges that those who aspire to become total leaders learn how to adapt to new circumstances with confidence to conduct several "design experiments" whose purpose is to increase the ability to be innovative with creative action. He identifies ten types such as "Appreciating and Caring" experiments that involve having fun with people, caring for others, and appreciating relationships. Daniel Goleman characterizes this as developing "emotional intelligence" and Friedman believes that it is very important in each of the four domains. Because each domain has different kinds of relationships, separate goals and strategies must be devised for nourishing ("humanizing") relationships in each.

5. In the next chapter, Friedman offers sound advice on "how to get going and make something new stick" during what is necessarily a never-ending process of human development. Once again, he stresses the importance of achieving "four-way wins" in each domain by "jumping" into the hearts and minds of others. "The best experiments are those that don't just get the approval from all your stakeholders, but will genuinely benefit them by changing their worlds for the better...When you're trying to make something new happen, you've got to know what others care about, so that you can adjust your actions. And you've got to know whom they trust, so that you know who will listen to whom as you seek to exert influence."

I can personally attest to the importance of each of these and Friedman's other key points. However, what he advocates is obviously much easier said than done. Consider the concept of "balance," of "integrating" what is most important in each of the four domains. Let's assume that someone achieves that. For most of us (including corporate CEOs), a proper balance on weekdays usually differs (sometimes) substantially from a proper balance during weekends. Moreover, obligations, objectives, and opportunities in the work domain, for example, change during the progression of a career. That is, our proper balances on weekdays and weekends frequently change, and that is also true of each of the other three domains. The key to effectively responding to these changes is to think and feel one's way through a four-step process.

Of course, Friedman is fully aware of this. In fact, in the final chapter, he observes that total leadership "doesn't end with the implementation of your experiments. This is really just the beginning. Being a better leader and having a richer life is an ongoing search, which I hope you will be on for the rest of your life. As long as you continue practicing authenticity, integrity, and creativity, you will increase your chances of scoring four-way wins - performing better and finding satisfaction in your various domains."

I presume to conclude this review with a personal note: After reading Friedman's book and before composing this review, I read The Last Lecture in which Randy Pausch (age 46) shares his thoughts and feelings as he awaits imminent death from pancreatic cancer. Actually, "awaits" is not the correct word because Pausch does everything he can to leave no "IOUs" behind for his beloved wife ("the woman of his dreams"), their three young children, other family members, friends, and associates. In his last lecture to his students at Carnegie-Mellon, he provides a "distillation" of how he felt about the end of his life. "It's not about how you achieve your dreams. It's about how you lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you." In my opinion, this is precisely the same message that Stewart Friedman communicates to his own students as they prepare for a career in business. The "total leader" is first and foremost a total person.

I took two intercontinental flights recently and took the time to go through the "Total Leadership" program. And, before I begin my review, I want to say that over the past ten years or so I've seen an absolute avalanche of "leadership" books come out - most of them gimmicky and useless. This is not one of them and in fact I believe the title may deter people from purchasing this; do not be one of them.

"Total Leadership" is about finding your way when you have multiple responsibilities tugging you in different directions. Until now, I've often felt family pulling me one way, only to find the more time I spend with them the more I resent the time it takes away from work. Similarly, on business trips for example, I fight with feelings of guilt for being away from my family. And that's not to mention the the toll all of this takes on my health, when I'm too busy to exercise or just watch the game with friends. I'm here to say this book can help, like finding the long lost manual and finally figuring our how to do new things with a product, this book acts as a guide to finding a semblance of control in your life. It's not about sacrifice, and it's definitely not found in the idea of "balance", this book advocates a powerful third way: overlapping your domains and drawing boundaries.

What makes this book especially effective are the exercises the author puts the reader through. The reader is asked to define the issue, starting with the multiple responsibilities and challenges s/he faces, then it moves on to defining your domains, where is it that you spend your time? Most of the readers (including myself) would find four areas: self, family, work and community. Then, with domains defined, you can identify stakeholders in each domain and begin the process of finding ways "to live your life in accord with what really matters to you." The reader is asked to discuss his/her vision for a future life (post-change) with trusted individuals s/he has previously identified. A particularly effective step is then speaking with others about living your life differently, such as: your boss, significant other and friends, and getting their opinion and feedback on your plan, and as difficult and challenging as this may be it ends up providing the most powerful incentive to change through accountability and stakeholder buy-in. In many cases, I found that as much as I was building bridges between domains in my life, I was also creating boundaries (for example, no longer do I check my blackberry or the Internet between the hours of 6pm - 9pm.) But some of the biggest changes are personal ones that are for me and my family, other readers will likely find similar decisions they make without necessarily sharing them.

This book is not about easy decisions, or difficult ones, its about drilling down to what's most important in your life and building from there.

Ultimately, this book is required reading once, in my opinion, you are put in a position of responsibility. It is effective in maintaining a mindset conducive to responsible living, it provides a non-cookie cutter approach and it creates change in your life through practical exercises.

For these reasons, this reviewer highly recommends "Total Leadership."

I was a student of Prof Friedman's at Wharton and read this book as part of his seminar course in Total Leadership. Six months later, I now have a blueprint for pursuing career success while simultaneously improving my personal life. Since reading this book, I have improved my marriage, strengthened relationships with other family members, and recommitted myself to both community and fitness by running the 2008 Boston Marathon as a charity fundraiser.

This is more than a great read. While the program requires a serious commitment to change, so too do Stew's concepts provide a sustainable framework for positive change across all aspects of life.

Stew's 'Total leadership' has had an incredible on my life. About a year ago, I sat for the first time and tried to figure out what I wanted in all aspects of my life. The journey has been eye-opening and very satisfying.

I now often go back to my writings and experiments and update them as I go through life in a much more determined and deliberate way; trying to achieve what I want in each of the "4 domains".

Thank you Stew for being such a mentor, be it in person or through your book.

A very intrigueing, and facinating book - absolutly wonderful and hauntingly beautiful photographs. This one is hard to put down...MCB

A very intreging, and facinating book - absolutly wonderful and hauntingly beautiful photographs. This one is hard to put down...MCB

As soon as I found this book in a used book store, I knew I needed to buy it. I love all the images and reading through all the angel names. Whenever I feel like the world is rapidly becoming overwhelming, I sit down with "Visions of Angels" and it helps to restore my balance. I highly recommend it - a coffee table book, it is not!

My favorite is that of "JASON, 1995" by Kelly Grider which depicts a male angel portrayed in a classic 19th century european romantic style. My second favorite is "Descending Angel" which also appears on the cover.

I am not a big fan of "coffee table" books. They gather more dust than the table, but this book demands attention. I find myself picking it up and contemplating the images. They are all deserving of multiple viewings - they are ART. The best image from Thursday may become hated on Wednesday because of the emotions generated by me, combined with the photo. I encourage all to pick up the book and I challenge you to the challenge of contemplation. Enjoy the ride.

There is no doubt this is a nice book, but the material is abundant elsewehere and a LOT less expensive. If you are a completist or money comes easy to you, by all means get this. If five hundred dollars seems ridiculously expensive even for a limited run, you can buy Wallace Wood books in bookstores, comic stores, and online very easily.

I recently purchased this volume, along with Starger & Spurlock's "Wally's World," and this is by far the superior of the two books. Rather than attempting to write a biography, as S&S do, Bhob Stewart has assembled some 35 essays about Wood, including four by Stewart himself. These range from one page to 46 pages in length, and from breezy to scholarly in tone. Some are more interesting and better-written than others, but collectively they add up to a fascinating portrait of a uniquely talented artist whose life ended far too soon.

As you'd expect with any book about Wood, there are copious illustrations, including 16 pages of full-color reproductions on glossy stock in the hardcover edition. (The paperback omits these.) The quality of the reproductions is generally good, although there is just the tiniest bit of bleed-through in the black-and-white pages. I wish they'd used a better grade of paper!

If you are a hardcore Wood fan, you should probably get both this book and "Wally's World." If you have to choose, this is the one to go with, assuming you can find a copy at an affordable price.

I came upon this book while browsing a comic shop in Cambridge, and soon realised it was the long promised comprehensive survey of Wood's art and career. I applaud Bhob Stewart for his perseverance and obvious passion in bringing this book to publication. Any fan of Wood's will want to read this book. It contains tons of great art ; some of it obscure and previously unseen, and the biographical information it presents is thorough, and illustrated with great photos. A blurb on the back of the book proclaims, "Hooray for Wally Wood" and sure enough the vivid and imaginitive genius of Wood is on full display between its covers. This is the triumph part of his story, and it makes it a must have art book. But this book bravely explores the person of Wood as well,including the negatives, and the price he paid for his obsessive genius. It's a tragedy that anyone who knows Wood's story is familiar with, and it speaks loudly to the American culture at large, and how we have in the past, sometimes treated our heroes like throwaway commodities. After seeing some of the gorgeous art in the book, it seems incongrous to imagine the same Wood staying up for 3 days on Dexdrine to ink a Wonder Woman comic, but it happened, and frequently. A giant like Wood routinely worked on mediocre jobs just to scrape by. This warts and all approach is as honest as it is heatbreaking, and in my opinion transforms the book into a work of art of another variety, in its portrayal of a gifted but tortured individual. Attention, Hollywood!
Assistants Paul Kirshner, Nick Cuti and others contribute amazing , written tributes to Wood that say just how much they loved the guy, all the while dealing with his difficult personality. For these heartfelt rememberances alone, this book is a welcome, if sobering addition to the legacy of the great Wallace Wood.
I don't know if the author's intent was to produce anything more than a beautiful art book and tribute to his friend, but the fact that this book also functions as a cautionary tale that provides insight into the creative process and inner workings of such an American icon as Wood, is a facinating by product that should be of interest to any general reader.

"Against the Grain" is an excellent collection of artwork by the late comic book artist Wally Wood, accompanied with essays by his friends and associates.

If you've never heard of Wood, you are in for a major treat here: Martians, robots, other-world landscapes, elves and dinosaurs have never looked better before or since Wood's time. Wood's crisp handling of pen-and-ink, his superb attention to detail (which fans called "beautiful clutter") and his extraordinary use of shadow and light are here for the reader to behold. The illustrations cover the entire range of his career, including his work from the 1950s with EC comics, his illustrations for Galaxy and other sci-fi magazines and his final masterwork, "The Wizard King".

Whether it was a grotesque monster from an unknown planet or a parody of Superman, a complicated machine from the 24th century or a fighter jet battle, a lush female in a tight-fitting spacesuit or a caricature of a contemporary politician, Wood could draw it. He could have you reeling in terror from space aliens or laughing out loud with "Batboy and Ruben." His influence on future generations of cartoonists was extensive, and some of them pay tribute to him in this book.

He had both friends and fans, some of them aspiring artists who probably would have paid him just to work in his studio. He could play guitar and entertain a group with his conversation, which tripped from art to politics to science.

Thomas Edison once said that invention is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, and Wally Wood must have understood that perfectly. His creations were the result not just of skill but of hours of labor. This is obvious from the fine details of such pieces as the spaceship interiors of "There'll Be Some Changes Made," his use of high contrast lighting in "Atom Bomb", the precisely-falling raindrops and slanted spears of "Joan of Arc," the exact movements of a medieval duel in "Trial by Arms"...

Phew! It's hard to know where to stop.

As a teenager and amateur cartoonist, I would imagine Wood as living in a Manhattan penthouse (for surely someone that talented would be rich) overlooking the New York skyline, working at his drawing board and surrounded by futuristic machines, while gorgeous women lounged about his bizarre-looking furniture. (He depicts himself in that manner in "My World", a tribute to science-fiction artists.)

Nothing could have been further from the truth. Despite his talent and his fans, Wood became a life-long alcoholic who worked in dank basements, spending weeks at his drawing board, half-wishing he could enter the fantastic environments he was creating and flee all his problems with publishers, bills and imperfect women. It was as if all his emotions had been bottle-necked and could only come out on the drawing board. (One of his three wives was a psychiatrist who concluded that he just had to control everything or else.) In the end, he just walked away from it all, putting himself to sleep with a handgun in 1979.

Still, his fans and associates have assembled this superb collection and hopefully there will be more of them.

Although it had been promised to be a "definitive biography" by the publisher, Against the Grain: Mad Artist Wallace Wood continues the piecemeal format of everything that has been available about Wood and his contemporaries (Severin, Elder, Ingels, Crandall, Williamson, Craig, Davis, et al) for the last 40 years. -Which is to say it's a rambling book of personal essays/reminiscences, panel discussion excerpts and brief, fan-flavored interviews. The books one undeniable saving grace is that it is very generously embellished with samples of the artist's work. But overall, it feels like a blow-out issue of Squa Tront.

This will scratch the itch of the diehard and casual fan who wanted a coffee table browser on the subject. For those, like me, who hoped, finally, to see the subject's life drawn in one cohesive portrait by an insightful Boswell, it's a letdown, or "more of same."

I hope the book does well. It is, perhaps, an urgently needed Wood intro for newer generations who lack a sense of history. It is a welcome public reminder/declaration of Wood's place in The Comic Pantheon, where he clearly stands shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Roy Crane, Milt Caniff, Walt Kelly, Al Capp, Chester Gould and, dare one utter it, the Great Charles Schulz. Honest, it's not a bad little read. But I wish it had offered something new on the subject, or at least somehow extended the genre of fan appreciation/criticism established by Squa Tront during the 60s and 70s. As it is, this book has an odd way of making me feel that an entire generation, my generation, never really grew up.

This is an incredible resource that was greatly needed. Phillip Stewart has created a comprehensive and fascinating repository for history buffs, documentarians, and anyone who needs to research the documentary film during the Great War. It boggles the imagination that Stewart was able to conduct research on all of the over 900 extant films and provide a logically organized digest for the rest of us. I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (10/07)

Philip W. Stewart has researched, compiled and edited this listing or catalog of historic films of action taken during World War I. The U.S. Army Signal Corps were given the assignment of obtaining photographic coverage of American participation in the War. In the introduction, Stewart reiterates the earlier statement of purpose for the filming made by K. Jack Bauer in 1957. The photographic coverage was ordered for propaganda, scientific, identification, and military reconnaissance purposes, but primarily for the production of a pictorial history of the war.

The book is divided into two sections. Part One covers U.S. military operations from the years prior to the war beginning in 19l4 and through to the returning of the troops in 1918-1919. Included in this section are films related to post-Armistice training, films relating to Allied and enemy activities, and the parades and events celebrating liberty. There are films from Washington D.C., Paris, London, and Brussels featured in these festivities filmed in 1918 and 1919.

As a U S. Navy veteran I took special note of the films related to Naval Operations. There are films featuring submarines, U-boats, destroyers, battleships, our convoy activities, and the return of the fleet in 1918.

Part two is made up of a listing of films featuring civilian activities. Several films cover the years of Woodrow Wilson's administration, his cabinet, the decisions he faced and the treaties he signed. A number of films were made of his trip to Europe in 1918 on the ocean-liner George Washington. He visited France, England and Italy. Additional trips to Europe were made in the following year. Many of the events and receptions attended during these visits were captured on film and are included in the listings.

Films featuring industry as it related to the war effort are also included in this section. The manufacturing of ordnance material, military aeroplanes, gas masks, and shipbuilding are all included.

Other patriotic activities, holiday celebrations and liberty loan drives are featured. I found the films covering the memorial services at Arlington National Cemetery, and the Burial of an Unknown Solider of particular interest.

This book is one of a kind. It is destined to become an important resource for historians, media researchers, documentary producers, and students of films. There are 957 reels of footage shot during the years 1914-1918. These include the WWI era documentary films, in record group 111, held in the U.S. National Archives. Philip W. Stewart has produced an important work in his book "Battlefilm."

A truly comprehensive resource and research tool. The author and publisher have done a remarkable job expanding Mr. Bauer's "List" and creating a reference source that is valuable and up-to-date. This is the perfect addition to my or anyone's aviation history library.

This book helped me find exactly what I was looking for for my documentary! This is a great and well organized resource!

This reference book describes, in detail, films taken during the first world war. The book is very informative and interesting. It provides a glimpse of the past.

We all know of stories where businesses, families and communities went down the drain because the involved parties were locked into years of conflict. In this book, Stewart Levine provides an insightful framework and applications for resolutions that can be put to practice immediately; sort of a 15-Minute Gourmet Resolutions recipe book.

A must read for anyone trying to get the most out of relationships.

The Book of Agreement is the first practical book on how to realize the potential of really working together in the world, at the office, or in the home. Stewart Levine outlines the amazingly simple, and yet so powerful, 10 elements that actually produce"agreements for results". Following this by example after example of people who actually made this work. I found this book to not only be worth my time, but such a time saver that I got copies for everyone in th office. I even sent copies out to my family.

The Book of Agreement is profoundly simple yet extremely useful in its application to many varieties of situations/relationships requiring dependable and reliable solutions toward fullfilling significant goals.
Stewart Levine's capacity to provide a means by which conflicts can be resolved, not only allows the reader the ability to do so for him/herself, but it also provides great insight into understanding (which is a wonderful gift).

As a conflict mediator, I have found The Book of Agreement by Stewart Levine to be extremely insightful for me personally and particularly helpful in working with my clients. His book will help us all create effective relationships in our lives. A must read.

Add this book to your shelf of most important references--like your dictionary and your "Windows for Idiots" guide--and consult it often. Your life, relationships, and career will improve immeasurably.

Stuart Levine's first book "Getting to Resolution" is the best I've read on resolving conflict. I think I know a thing or two about agreements. So I read the review copy of this new book, supplied by his publicist, with mixed emotion. I know and love Stewart, we have the same publisher, I'm thrilled his great second book is out, and he taught me good stuff about resolving conflict (we also shared an excellent glass of Merlot last year in Santa Fe, but that's a story for another day). But, just what can Levine teach this veteran partnering consultant about making and keeping agreements?

A thing or two, it turns out.

Let's start with what's critical to learn if you don't already know it.

Consider Levine's Principle #2, "We work and live in a 'sea' (context) of agreements." Do you realize all relationship behavior is governed by implicit or explicit agreements? Someone can't even push your hot-buttons unless you and they have established by implicit agreement that "those" buttons are indeed hot and that you will explode if they are tweaked in a certain way. And you know "Shhh, don't tell a soul"
implicitly means "keep this to yourself as well as I'm keeping it to myself." Even a chain of command is full of implicit agreements about norms like who can and can't tell whom what to do, who can and can't evaluate another's performance, who can and can't make decisions, etc. If you've worked in one hierarchy, you pretty much can move from organization to organization and quickly grasp the nuances of the culture. Why? Because you understand, experientially, the sea of implicit agreements.

You buy into, if not invent, these implicit agreements, and then live by them whether you like it or not. It's your own doing. So you might then consider Levine's Principle #3, "We never learned the essential elements of an effective agreement." I believe people clamor for control because they lack the learned power of agreement-making. It's much easier to just boss folks around. But it's far more powerful and rewarding to make what Levine calls "agreements for results." That's a lot of what TeamWisdom (a term from my work) is about.

So what do you do? You learn the essential elements of an effective agreement, then put them to use. Repeat. Improve. Repeat. Improve. Levine shows you how.

Just as he did in his first book, Levine gives us the foundation first and the practice second. He starts with the Basic Law of Agreement ("Collaboration is established in language by making implicit and explicit agreements"), then offers ten principles, and then ten elements of effective agreements. Elements include things like roles, time and value, measures of satisfaction, etc. Later in the book, he uses these ten elements to fashion templates and illustrate agreements for different situations (like employment agreements, sales agreements, performance appraisal agreements, feedback agreements, and many more).

The strength of this book is in combining his original concepts with his applications. For instance Levine identifies the difference between agreements for protecting your interests and agreements for results. The first is what you hire lawyers to do in writing contracts; he knows,
Levine practiced law for years. He shows you how to make agreements for results and protect your interests. Levine also provides application after application after application. More than half the book is devoted to templates for agreements for results in organizations, associations, communities, families, cultures, marriages, and more. Be sure to practice the new Levine U MBA -- managing by agreement. You'll also want to read his section on training your lawyer how to make agreements for results.

The Book of Agreement makes a terrific companion to "Teamwork Is An Individual Skill: Getting Your Work Done When Sharing Responsibility"

I love this book!!! Leonard Cohen is the arguably the most touching writer alive today. I always feel a real connection with his writing, and it always leaves me in total awe.

Because I had bought and read his latest book I decided to buy an old one. Since his songs are poems set to music this book is prose brought to the level of poetry. Short thoughts on his relationship to a higher being or muse or idea. Thought provoking. A pleasure just to read. The man has spent his life finding the right words and metaphoric language for his deep thoughts on love and meaning and life. Thank you, Leonard

Perhaps Leonard Cohen has never been a King, as was David, but the passion of his reflections truly invites comparison.

Cohen struggles with G-d, in the finest tradition of Judaism-- indeed, of all spiritual combat. So he both speaks to G-d, and he listens. His listening compels me to listen with my own feeble ears.

This is a book for all spiritual combatants, whether Jewish, Christian, or Muslim. Or any faith that is "of the book."

Leonard Cohen, always the great poet, has done a masterful job of expressing the spirit of the Psalms in modern prosaic, poetic form. And like the son of the chief psalmist, Cohen has traveled a road that has taken him through many life experiences, only to come through them to arrive at the knowledge of that which truly matters. Book of Mercy is not only a literary gem, but a book of enlightening and thought provoking inspiration for Jew and Christian alike, not to mention that person we often refer to as a seeker.

Although Book of Mercy is written in prose, its soul is poetic.
To try to describe it I must point at the Moon -- there are no words
in me, experience it for yourself. My best friend's roots are Jewish,
mine are Catholic, we have evolved into an inclusive state of being,
yet Book of Mercy shows us the origins of our religions respectively --
althouth it is beyond either.

Here are some publisher's quotes: "An eloquent victory of the human spirit in combat with itself." (Globe and Mail)
"One of the most honest and courageous attempts in Canadianwriting to grapple with ultimate truth." (Books in Canada)
"Resplendent evidence of an arduous spiritual journey." (Maclean's)

Nobody else in our times reaches the tundra of the soul's journey as does Cohen. A wonderful love-version of the Star of David graces the cover.

This is one of the best books I have read on gambling in a long, ling, time! His style of writing is straightforward and clear and concise. He explains the odds on craps, blackjack and slots in a manner I can understand and apply. I especially appreciated his payoff schedules on each of the games and the strategy on the video games.
One of the few books I have bought that were worth the money!

A great switch from the mundane world of gambling books, this author presents his own personal experiences in a humorous yet professional manner. His own expertise is relayed through statistical and easy to understand information. I would highly recommend this book to any casino regular who is still not confident in their game.

I really enjoyed reading James Crowder's book, Casino Gambling for Fun and Profit. It was very informative and helpful to the beginner and the experienced player. I have read a lot of gambling books, but I was especially impressed with the way Dr. Crowder mixed some humor and some of his own experiences into the book. Anyone can write statistics down, but this book captures my attention and makes for enjoyable reading and learning.

This book would be a very insightful tool to any inexperienced gambler as well as professionals with years of experience. It provides strategic tips and documented accounts of the author's personal research relating to Video Poker and Blackjack. Following this author through his analysis of the sport is quite intriguing. He cleverly uses humor to help paint the true casino atmosphere. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his book, and have monetary proof he knows what he writes.

Casino Gambling for Fun and Profit is extremely informative on the subjects of blackjack and video poker. The amusing stories from the author's past experience holds the readers' attention as well as reinforces the technical explanations. As a novice gambler this book gave me the confidence to play other casino games besides slots and actually walk away a winner.