Reference Books

Richard S. Levick and Larry Smith have delivered the definitive book, at least for now, on crisis communications and litigation PR. (Brief disclosure: I have met and chatted with both of them, but this review is, I hope, unaffected by any personal contacts.)

Levick and Smith don't hold back in describing some disastrous public relations gaffes by major companies, and they also give credit to corporations that understood how important the "court of public opinion" can be. These authors also know how to write: the book is free from marketing and PR jargon, and is easy and even fun to read. As a media relations professional and former reporter and editor, I have put this book on my desk next to my computer.

The authors also recognize the importance of blogs - both as tools that a company or law firm's opponents can use and as tools that are well suited to defense as well.

The recommended use of "message points," though hardly original with Levick and Smith, reaches a high plateau here. Their recommendations for pharmaceutical companies, antitrust defendants, even asbestos makers, are not merely plausible but convincing.

Sometimes a firm needs to stand tough and fight the battle in the media. Sometimes it needs to stand down. Levick and Smith help explain the difference.

This would be a five-star review except that the authors' constant use of brief stories -- in a different and jarring typeface -- as sidebars in the text is off-putting and even a bit amateurish. Sometimes, it's even hard to follow. The fact that they must put "continued" lines into their book ("See page 147") should have been a tip-off that the typography here is not ideal.

Still, this is a terrific book.

After having devoured this book, I can highly recommend reading it.

It is easy to read and offers lots of very practical advice on how to master or even prevent crisis. Richard and Larry have apparently broad experience in helping troubled companies in times of difficulties; and they share their knowledge with a good portion of humor, many real world references and examples, and very helpful appendixes.

Their emphasis on "prevention" made it clear to me how important it is for nearly every company's "survival" to anticipate the potential for crisis and to set up early the required structures. I liked in particular the reminder - or wake up call for many of us - on how important it is to become part of the blog community.

This book should be bed side lecture for everybody who manages communication on behalf of any size and type of company, in particular outside counsel, members of legal and PR departments. It is a great 1x1 on crisis management but also offers lots of depth.

I immediately thought of British Airways' management who should have read this book before opening Heathrow's new terminal and entering into disaster. They would most probably be better off today!

Stop the Presses (2nd Ed.) is a reference book, but it can only be considered a primer for anyone needing to respond to crisis and litigation. I especially like appendix. Most readers will find them helpful.

It's rare that a book can serve as an "insurance policy," but Stop The Presses comes as close as any I have read. Nobody relishes the idea of a crisis situation befalling them or their business--but crises do strike--and by definition, they are unexpected. If a company's management has read, or even browsed those neat little gray "So Don't Forget" boxes at the end of each chapter of Stop The Presses, it will have taken the first step on the road to preparedness.

Ricard Levick and Larry Smith make this sometimes frightening topic eminently readable, and fill the pages with useful, do's, don't and "don't forgets." Their experience is evident all through the book. No book is a substitute for the right advisers and advice, but this one covers many of the crises and legal/regulatory troubles with just enough explanation to start readers on the path to the right kind of actions.

As I stated at the start: it isn't quite an insurance policy, but for $30, it might just save your reputation or your company. And that's probably the best $30 you could spend. Buy it; read it; and hope you never need it. You'll sleep better at night.

Don't buy this book for your PR department. Buy it for your attorneys.

Levick bridges the gap between the need for an organization to speak publicly during a crisis and its legal department's desire to keep the corporate yap locked tight. An attorney himself, Levick understands perception trumps fact, and that at crisis time the real battle won't happen in a court of law; it's already happening in the court of public opinion.

Filled with insights and strategies for short-circuiting a media assault from newspapers still in print to online bloggers, "Stop the Presses" is a must-read for those who think they know crisis communications.

Levick also explains the critical need for advance preparation, on-going media awareness and outside legal and communications counsel in a crisis, three steps lacking in too many organizations.

A clear winner.

Dennis Dean
The Dean Group

Thank you for this beautiful book that got to me very fast and in perfect condition, I will treasure it

This is the best book written about Mary. How simple! Easy to follow and great inspiration for my life and devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. If you love her, your love will grow deeper. You most buy this book and certainly feel more attached to her. Seller is excellent. Buy at ease from them. GOOD PRICES!!!

I have spent the past four years discovering my Catholic faith after spending decades chasing professional goals of far less importance.

I have found this book to be the most important "writing of the saints" book I've read while on this four-year journey.

I highly recommend reading it slowly and prayerfully, and making the formal personal consecration. For me, this has been a life-changing discovery for which I am very grateful.

There are some that believe Catholics worship the Virgin Mother. There are some they believe this book is filled with blasphemy, yet reading this book I found none. I found a book that taught that Mary helps us build a deeper and meaningful relation with Jesus. This book is about how Mary is part of God's will.

The book may be a little hard for some to read, but do not be worried. It is filled with so much rich and beautiful text, that will have you want to know anything and everything about Our Lady.

This book gave me a phrase that I will hold close to my heart:

Maria Numquam Satis " Of Mary, there is never enough!"

This is an important book. I am a recent convert to the Catholic Church. I grew up in a protestant denomination and Mary was someone who appeared for a couple of weeks at Christmas and then faded back into the dust of first century christianity. She was just one of many players in the drama of God. This book blows that shallow understanding to bits. Over the past year I have been getting to know my Mother. This book came to my attention only recently and I can not put it down! I will say this, one must read this book with faith. This is a very deep book, yet beautifully simple. It is a love story of devotion and courage. This book is a high calling to know Jesus in a way one may have never imagined possible.

Peace,
Keith

I have read many books about writing fiction and they have been good, but this is way beyond good. She doesn't give you the same answer I have heard parroted both in books as well as at conferences that you write each day. She talks about the importance of research-When she gets into the writing tools. She doesn't just show you how-she gives examples of what this type of writing will present to the reader. The other thing is that it is also a very good read and I have found myself enjoying every page of this "textbook" If someone is teaching a creative writing course in school I would suggest this as a good read, but teaching at the same time.

I should probably start by admitting that I have an entire bookshelf full of writing books. Some are inspiring, some offer step-by-step guidelines, and some, sadly, seem like little more than fluff (and should probably be disposed of).

I was thrilled to find that Write Away by Elizabeth George offers it all -- inspiration, an authentic look at the writing life, and practical advice readers can begin implementing today.

George gives readers a glimpse into what it means to be a writer -- the hard work, the insecurity, the commitment required. But she also offers her own, very practical plan for writing a novel. Certainly, her system won't be the perfect system for everyone, but it's doable and provides an excellent starting place for anyone who longs to write a novel but has no clue where to start.

Write Away will, without a doubt, be given a prominent spot on my bookshelf.

Elizabeth George is highly successful with her own novels, and truly helps other writers evaluate their work. Each section brings her knowledge and encouragement to the belabored novelist, whether novice or not. I came away from reading this with new eyes to see my own writing, and insights to bring to my critique group. A wonderful read, and a great resource.

As a writer, I appreciate any advice from a known author. I've spoken to Elizabeth George at a reading in Manchester, Vermont and she gave me good feedback on my writing. I loved reading about place and interior landscape of characters and how important that was before the plot and story line.

Write Away -- by bestselling novelist Elizabeth George -- explains the science as well as the art involved in crafting fiction. Topics covered include mapping out a story structure that will keep the reader engaged, creating fascinating yet believable characters (people who are slightly larger than life, but neither so perfect that your reader will hate them nor so loathsome that your reader won't want anything to do with them), researching potential settings (and then altering them to make them your own), and the hard work involved in completing a book-length piece of writing. This is one of the most practical guides to writing fiction I've read yet. Highly recommended.

excellant source for coin collectors just starting in. clear & consise with many interesting facts and stories regarding coins.

Hello , I am new to coin collecting so I needed a guide. I wanted some knowledge of the field I was about to enter. This book does that , not only price guide but much much more, full of information and nicely laid out in a easy to read format. Really good basic stuff.

Amazon advertised the latest, 2008 version of A Guidebook of US Coins, copywrite 2007, which I purchased. Two weeks later Amazon advertises the 2009 version. I firmly believe Amazon owes me the 2009 version & I go on record for such.

I ordered three books to give to clients as gifts. After I had ordered them I wondered if they would make it on time. They were here early. The books were exactly as described, brand new. The price was the cheapest on the net. The shipping was free. This product and service really deserve a 10.

This book accomplished just what i purchased it for. I needed to value my coin collection that was not reviewed for many years. The spiral bound edition was particularly useful when looking up many different coins.

The ARRL General Class License Manual for Ham Radio, Level 2

This is the gold standard for preparing for and passing the General Class License exam. Just make sure you get the upto date edition. The questions change ever three years.

This is a great product. If your are looking to upgrade your license, this is the book to use.

Good prep for the exam... If you can absorb all that is in this book you have a much bigger brain than me(very possible)... tons of tech info. Every section has a reference to the test questions that apply. Very useful. I haven't taken the General Exam yet so YMMV.

Got my Tech license in Feb 09 and wanted to get a General upgrade ( that is what I was shooting for in the first place )...I bought the book and planned on a 3 to 6 month learning process before I took the exam...After about one and half weeks of studying ( around an hour a day ), I decided to try the test ( $15 and a 2 hour drive )...I missed one question on the test and was in and out of the test area in about 15 minutes...I highly recommend this book for preparing for the General test...

Excellent for electrical study as well, explanation very easy understandable.
Answers should have been hidden just in a better way.

I must admit that I am not usually into celebrity type cookbooks and am a little bit hesitant to get things that are associated with "Jackie O." My mother purchased this book years ago when it came out.(and I purchased my own copy thereafter) We tried the brownies in this book and they are beyond fabulous. There is no recipe that ever even comes close to these brownies they are the most perfect brownies in the world. The only thing I changed is that I do not add the chunks of chocolate to them, but that is a matter of taste. I just like soft Brownies with no chunks inside. They are pretty easy and straightforward. Marta Sgubin is an absolute wonderful chef. She made all sorts of great dishes for this family and there are wonderful menus and pictures. I also enjoyed seeing the notes with little pictures on them written by Jackie O. It was cute. Although I am not really very interested in viewing other people I do not know in pictures, it was nice to see John John and Caroline growing up in a simple and what appears to be relaxed atmosphere.

This book is like a glimpse into LIFE ON THE OTHER SIDE..! What elegance!! Mrs. Onassis....what a lady..After perusing the recipes..I wonder how my diet is...(not good) I don't think much of us put the time and effort into the COOKING like the author does..Wow! What a book!

Marta was with Jackie and the children for more than 20 years (I believe she is now working for Caroline and her family). Her recipes are very fresh, healthy, and sophisticated. Yet they are relatively simple and straightforward. The memories she shares with us, along with family photographs, provide a glimpse into the life of this very private family, and show happy times, like birthday parties and summertime meals at Jackie's home on Martha's Vineyard. She tells us about some favorite family dishes, and comes across as very unpretentious, loving, and loyal. Thanks to Marta, I now know how Jackie stayed so thin: most days, when not entertaining, she had a simple lunch of roasted chicken, cottage cheese, and sliced tomatoes. Now where else are you going to find out something like that? The photographs of the food are lovely, too.

This is an amazing book. You feel like you're right there in the home with them. The public Mrs. Onassis was a very graceful and dignified lady. This book gives you a little peek at another side. I really enjoyed reading that she enjoyed looking at Marta's seed catalogs every spring. Because of these 2 ladies, John and Caroline grew into some very nice adults. The food pictures are so lovely...you want to try each and every recipe. This is such a good format mixing the recipes and memories and telling the stories behind the dishes. This is one book I don't loan to anyone.

like most everyone else i bought this book hoping for more of an inside glimpse into jacqueline kennedy onassis' life wondering what kind of food someone who had been everywhere and experienced almost everything life has to offer would have at home. what a pleasant surprise to find she enjoyed foods all of us can prepare at home without too much muss or fuss. who would have thought shepherds pie or brownies! what i found made the book a must for me though, is the antedote about aristotle onassis and the chocolate cake. i actually laughed. i can see why ms. sgubin fit into this family so nicely because she herself is so charming and kind. i think you'll enjoy "cooking for madame" even if you don't cook simply because it revisites someone we liked having in the world community so much. kudos marta!

This book is an asset to my studies as a Geology student, it is one of many good books needed in a rock jocks library.

An older book that I've used since college for resource and personal collection use. It's a shame the book is no longer made!

My daughter has loved collecting rocks since she could pick them up. This is her first rock book and we are very pleased. It is well layed out and seems very thourough. She is 6 and for her it was perfect.

Nice pictures. Doesn't have all common rocks in it, for example no Tiger's Eye.

If you are not blind this is the book for you. Even if you are blind you could get someone else to tell you just how beautiful the photos in this book are. That is if they can catch their breath after seeing the Photo's. No 99% of the time you will not find the same item in the outdoors that you see in the book. Still if you have the chance even at 1% of finding a specimen that is even close to the photo in beauty it will be worth ten times what you have paid for this book. I have maybe three or four rocks I have found that look as good as the photos in the book. Actually I have three that are better than and one that is as good as the photo's in the book. I keep looking for even more rocks just to find them. Yes for the money I spend on Gas and tires and places to sleep and eat.I could just buy some of these rocks from a rock dealer. Still it is as I have heard and known my whole life. It is not the having it is the finding. A chunk of gold the size of a brick 2X4X8 solid 24kt. Paint it white. Or a tiny little 3 gram nugget that you found on the edge of a stream on a high mountain meadow. "Yes more than 75% of the (3)three Gram gold nuggets have yet to be found, They are still out there waiting for someone to walk along a stream and see them laying there." The day was bright and sunny with not a cloud in the sky. The only sounds were of the insect's buzzing in the grasslands and an eagle calling from a spiral in the blue sky of a Rocky Mountain morning. Which would you rather have. This book will keep you going back to those mountains and deserts and beaches and streams and and and need I continue? My wife and I dearly love this book. We have sat side by side and read and looked at the photos many times now. I know that is not what old folks that are in there late fifty's are supposed to do is it? Such is life.
dray

this source is the best of the best i agree it would have been nice if they included all other vehicles but never the less this source is the perfect tool for research.

i hope the publisher keeps publishing this book it would be a lost if it could not come out anymore i have had the 272 page book since's 2001 and is perfect for arguing points and debate points.

get this book while you still can trust me when i say very well worth every penny and i do mean every penny don't ever ever give it up to no one no matter how much they offer you for it.

With so many reviews detailing the contents of this book, I only add that it is worth the price new but still easy to find used. A must have in any Tank library. You will find so many vehicle's that you never even dreamed existed , that alone makes this book indispensable.Of course if you have heard of it it will be in here. Great pictures, so many that the authors ran out of space and crammed them in the front and back pages with footnotes.ENJOY! Great just for a leaf through for any odd hour or two.

I seen German tanks in this book I've never heard of. It is a definite addition to any WW2 historians collection .

This book remains one of the best sources of reference regarding German military vehicles during the Second World War. However, it should not be mistaken like some of the previous reviewers that this book is some sort of history book on the German forces. If anyone wishes to read how well the Panther or a Tiger did in combat, read else where. This book remains a data reference source. In this book, you will find all you ever want to find on the technical military data of all individual German military vehicles and their different model types. I found the information to be highly useful in almost every usage I get out of it, as a historian, wargamer, modeller and even as a film reviewer.

The book claims to be a definitive book on the German military vehicles and for once, this is not an over hype. It would be hard to find another book which hold this much information and data on all the individual German military vehicles as this. I would considered this book as one of the mandatory books in any World War II historian's library.

(In clarification, this book covered all the combat vehicles which served with the German military. It doesn't covered vehicles like Schwimmwagen or Kubelwagen or regular army truck.)

The book gives a great account of all AFV in the German inventory. The short comings of the book are evident in the lack of color photographs and information regarding how the unit was used/performed in battle.

This is the second of the Russelll Quant detective series. I have enjoyed each book and the stories get more interesting with each new book. On my fourth one now and still enjoying them. There is no sex, so if you are looking for that you will be disappointed. The mysteries, locations, and characters are all worth the time if you enjoy reading about a gay detective and his "friends." You can start with any book, but Amuse Bouche is the first one that sets the landscape for its successors. I enjoy supporting gay authors who have talent. I love Quant's wisecracking thoughts as he encounters the characters that populate his stories. It is hard not to laugh out loud on a plane or train (you were warned).

This was the first of the Russell Quant mysteriea I read, and it was while I was on a Mediterranean cruise. I really got into the main character and all the rest of his friends. Everyone sweemed so real and the mystery held me. It was a page turner. The PI is gay, so if you are gay you will like it even more. I left the book with the cruise ship library so some one else could enjoy it.

No reason to go indepth; enough has been said. This is the second book in the series, and I have absolutely no fault with it. I enjoyed the mystery, the main character, the supporting characters, the setting, the humor, the drama, the suspects.... It balances everything perfectly. I just ordered the next 3 books on Amazon. Highly recommend it, and -- Mr. Bidulka, you out there? -- please keep writing!

Who tried to ambush Detective Russel Quant in a desolate dead end of a country road, intimating him to drop a case when he hadn't got one-yet? A married, closeted gay man is blackmailed by a mysterious "loverboy", who has no loving thoughts nor actions. And the sense of menace implicit in the first disquieting pages becomne more urgent, as the plot thickens. Here we have a more self-conscious, witty and emphatic Russell Quant. This second novel is a definite improvement from the first, more essential, the mystery and thrill so much poignant. I loved it!

This book was one of the best reading experiences I've had in a long while, bar none! Anthony Bidulka has quickly become one of my top 5 authors and once you've read "Flight of Aquavit" you'll know why. First of all, I absolutely LOVE (!!) the lead character, Russell Quant. This character is so well-developed I feel as though I actually know this man, from his little quirks to his dry sense of humor, and even to his sense (or lack thereof) of style and likes/dislikes. The cast of characters (especially his mother and his fabulous, larger-than-life friend, Sereena) is quite memorable and provide the reader with a more "3-D" view of Russell's life. Bidulka has a way of drawing you into the story and making you care about the characters and understand what makes them "tick." I found myself having to pace myself as I read the book or else I might have spent all night and part of the morning finishing the story in order to find out how it ends. If you're looking for a great story with a top-notch private eye who happens to be gay (rather than his gayness being the primary characteristic that defines him), look no further than this book. You WON'T be disappointed!

This is a great book for any gardener it covers what can be planted close to each other and how far a part some plants like trees and plants from each other I have used this book several times since I have bought it and each time I find some thing else in it like when and how to prune trees and how to keep the insects from destroying your trees or gardens a must have book for gardeners

Picked it up for a dollar at a yard sale. Good purchase. It is just that a primer, with the addition of information for growing more than 300 plants. I can highly recommend it to anyone looking for a primer. The new 2nd addition is good. I justed looked it over at the bookstore.

I picked up this book and was at first just smitten by the illustration of an orderly tool shed -- I lust for an orderly tool shed! -- and kept on reading all through the book.

Although I have dabbled in gardening for years, only recently did I have my own plot of land to work on with only a couple of shrubs and many shade trees. I was unsure how to start, but learned what sort of tools I needed and what to look for when buying them; how to design the overall layout, how to create new beds, and so on.

This is a readable reference that provides much specific plant data in addition to the more general topics mentioned above. I read it and keep going back for seconds and thirds.

I gave it as a gift to a friend who is just starting to garden as well.

I bought The Garden Primer back in the 1980's when I first caught the gardening bug. Over the years I have added many garden books to my library, but this seems to ALWAYS be the one I turn to for quick general information. I have bought copies for two friends and am buying another one right now. I would be lost without this book, and keep all sorts of added information and plant tags stuffed between the pages. Its an old friend that is always there with the right answer!!!

I have been gardening for more than fifty years and have acquired a library of hundreds of gardening books. If I had to sacrifice all my books but one, this is the book I'd keep. It is amazingly concise yet informative, the best book of all for a beginning gardener and an excellent overview and review for experienced ones. And it is amazingly affordable, perhaps because it sticks with excellent black-and-white line drawings instead of expensive but often useless full color photographs. The only criticism I have is that the sources appendix for commercial suppliers of seeds, plants and equipment is hopelessly out of date and nearly useless--but that's to be expected given the 1988 date of publication and the constantly changing repertoire of companies, etc. that make such lists even a couple of years old outdated. Perhaps bound books should omit these lists altogether because they become obsolete so rapidly.