Teams Books

Sit back and relax with this read because W. A. Heisler exhibits a truely remarkable understanding of what Christmas is all about. His storytelling will fill your heart with the love and peace we all need to feel. I'd recommend this to all those who are looking to get away from the hustle and bustle that Christmas has become.

Wow, what a journey An American Christmas will take you on. From the first story "The Tradition" it touched my heart and I could not put it down. This book is an emotional, heartwarming and inspritational read. So enjoyable. I have actually read it twice. I have given it for gifts and encourage everyone to read it. You will truly feel the power of the words.

I liked this book a lot. My favorite stories are "Stille Nacht" (set during World War II) and "These Four Walls".

The author has a good sense of humor and it's most evident in "These Four Walls" (the story about the kids and the 'witch').

There's also some suspense in "Stille Nacht" and "The Long Road Home." (That surprised me even though I read and liked a few of the author's uncollected suspense stories.)

Three of the stories have spiritual elements. I normally wouldn't enjoy stories like that (outside of the horror genre), because I'm an atheist. It takes talent to make an ornery guy like me appreciate a sentimental and spiritual Christmas-themed story.

I'm looking forward to a book of Heisler's suspense and horror tales.

W. A. Heisler does a magnificent job with these five spiritually uplifting and inspiring Christmas stories that will touch and warm your heart. Heisler is able to quickly pull you into each story and connect you personally with each character. His ease and humor keeps your interest. A great holiday gift idea for someone you love.

What a great way to spend your christmas vacation! The Christmas memories shared in the short stories of this book offers such a variety of characters each with a feel good theme that offers an uplifting solution to the commercial driven christmas it puts the focus on the real meaning of christmas and the importance of the memories we make during the holdays. I laughed, cried and really enjoyed An American Christmas.

"Blue Ice" is not only a story about "Michigan Hockey" its a story about how college hockey has evolved to become a mainstream player development system for the National Hockey League, evidence the vast number of former NCAA Division l College Hockey players currently on NHL rosters. Neither is "Blue Ice" a book of hockey statistics; rather its pages uniquely reveal the metamorphosis of NCAA College Hockey, from its cocoon, to the exciting on-ice beautiful spectacle it has become."

An easy read, that's about much more then just the game of hockey. This book delves into the tradition and character of Michigan and it's hockey program. Blue Ice is a must read for anyone interested in Michigan athletics, is familiar with the Ann Arbor hockey community, or just loves the game of hockey.

Blue ice is an impressive book that will be enjoyed by anyone interested in collegiate-level athletics, particularly ice hockey. Bacon is a gifted writer with the ability to interweave historical facts and objective (always informative and often funny) stories that keep the reader entertained. It is a great buy for folks that love factually based stories.

A must-read for hockey lovers! Whether you like Michigan Hockey or any other team, this book is for you. Bacon makes this history story of the Wolverine skaters extremely fun and joyous reading. If you are a Michigan fan, you'd enjoy reading all the details and stories; if you (so wrongly) chose another team to cheer -- you'll become curious as to its own history.
I especially loved the parts of the book (which I consider as "Hockey chanting for Idiots") detailing the rich content and background behind some of what you hear in Yost Ice arena. After reading it, watching the games was so much more fun!

The idea is simple. Write an engaging story recounting the coming of age of a first class collegiate hockey program and spice it with behind the scene details, locker room interviews and humorous anecdotes. The execution is outstanding. Blue Ice takes the reader on a very enjoyable trip looking at the beginnings of college hockey at the University of Michigan, from playing outdoors on the frozen Huron River, to the recent trips that Wolverine skaters have made to the Frozen Four championships. The bonus for readers is getting a sports version of "Connections," with the athletic stories enveloped and intertwined in the history of the time, showing how seemingly unrelated events can influence each other. Easy and entertaining to read, delightful to give as a gift, when it was over, we wanted a sequel.

This book is a 'must' for the die-hard fan of America's Team... the Dallas Cowboys!

One of the greatest Cowboys history books I have read. Amazing pictures and very informative. Lots of information that even a die-hard Cowboy fan doesn't know. A very entertaining read.

I purchased 3 books from Amazon.com yesterday. Luckily, I met Norm at a remote today for which he graciously and personally signed all 3 copies.

1 book is going to my younger brother who is in Iraq fighting for Our Country - He'll love his signed copy.

1 is for my father-in-law... I know this lifelong Cowboy fan will love to relive the memories of this team through the pages of Norms book.

Of course I will love my copy here in N. Texas - Thanks Norm!!!

This is such a great book. Whether you are a Cowboys fan or not, it's a great conversation starter. Was this team the greatest ever?

The book is a great behind the scenes view...the photographs are amazing, the supporting story line riveting.

What a team...what a book!

I've never seen my husband with anything other than magazines, and when I surprised him with this beautiful hardcover, he couldn't hardly put it down :) He carried it to every room with him durning his chill time for a week straight, except the bathroom~he put it on the dresser right outside the door :) His eye's turn into big glossy child eyes when he's reflecting on old football times with this unbelievably vibrant photo history.
Every page is full of eye catching photo's with defining subtexts. If you love Dallas Cowboys, Sports Center, Sports Illistrated, and some Magazines then you'll LOVE this find. Recommend for the average to over the top Dallas Cowboy's fan !!

I'm burned out on business books at the moment, but Smith's book is different -- non-intuitive insights, distinctions that help you resolve complexity into useful patterns, ways of seeing and acting differently. And then there's the author's mischievous sense of fun. Who else quotes Woody Allen, Marvin Gaye, and David Foster Wallace (twice!) in a business book?

Divide Or Conquer: How Great Teams Turn Conflict Into Strength by Diana McLain Smith opened my eyes as to why business and personal relationships can start out so strong and then seemingly self-destruct for "no reason". Once you understand the structure and pattern of this event, you can start to take steps to correct it.

Contents:
Part 1 - Understanding Relationships: The Life and Death of a Relationship; The Anatomy of a Relationship; The Key to Resilience
Part 2 - Transforming Relationships: Disrupting Patterns of Interaction; Reframe How You See Each Other; Revise What You "Know" to Be True
Part 3 - Making Change Practical: Focus the Change Effort; Choose the Right Strategy; Motivate Change
Part 4 - Relational Sensibilities: Sensibilities for a Change;
Appendices: Appendix A - A Thinking Person's Guide to Behavioral Repertoires; Appendix B - The Ladder of Reflection
Acknowledgments; Notes; Bibliography; Illustration Credits; Index

The problem makes sense once you have it pointed out to you... It's a circular pattern of "how X acts, how Y frames things, how Y acts, how X frames things." The author uses John Scully and Steve Jobs as a prime example of this. When they both met each other and started out, they unconsciously chose to see only the parts of their personalities that they were focused on bringing into the partnership. Scully had the professionalism that Jobs needed and wanted, while Jobs had the enthusiasm that Scully admired. But as time went on, these same traits started to be perceived differently. Scully was acting as the coach and mentor, making exceptions for Jobs' failures. Jobs saw Scully as an indulgent father figure who was to pleased. Jobs then acted like the spoiled child, begging forgiveness to get back in Scully's good graces, but never making permanent changes. Scully was framing Jobs as the prince/king of Apple, and felt he had to maintain discipline. Over a relatively short period of time, this cycle led to Scully's failure and ouster from Apple as Jobs consolidated power and left Scully out of the loop.

Using a more down-to-earth scenario, she then takes you through this same type of spiral and shows how the simple act of stepping back, acknowledging there are other forces at play, and then asking how the other person is really feeling can bring the spiral to an abrupt halt. Once both parties understand the loop they've gotten themselves into, as well as the false assumptions they're making, then they can both choose to approach the relationship from a point of reality instead of assumptions.

Granted, this isn't an easy "do this, this, and this" process, and both sides have to be willing to open up and be vulnerable. But if you're dealing with a number of poisoned relationships at your job, Divide Or Conquer could be the first step to regaining control.

There are a plethora of books in the broad space of interpersonal learning and development. I am always wondering which ones I can recommend to friends and clients. But now Diana McLain Smith's is clearly top of my list. It pulls together in a new way all the best recent thinking in the fields of interpersonal behaviour, organisational learning, productive communications, and individual leadership. And it does so by providing it all with a distinctive and original focus - that of the importance of relationships. Ms Smith demonstrates convincingly that all the other approaches to improving our interactions with each other are incomplete (at best!) without the focus on what builds and sustains healthy relationships. This is also a fun and practical book. Highly recommended!

I dropped this book into my carry-on last week, and proceeded to read the entire thing over a day and a half. Smith has done a masterful job of making complex relationship dynamics and the impact they have on business decisions and management clear. In each chapter you get absorbed in the story of the working relationships at the center of the (real life) vignette, yet can track the points she is making and where you are in her framework via box diagrams along the way. Oh, and found myself laughing out loud periodically, prompting quizzical looks from other passengers in business class.

Immediately useful - a must for anyone's shelf.

When I first got this book on hand, there was only one review in the Amazon.com. And when I finished the book, and wanting to write my comment on it, it already goes to nine (reviews)! And this is only one month's time. And I must say the responds to this book haven't surprised me. It deserves a full-hall stand-up applause.

I have heard about Smith's name for quite a while, mainly from the field of organizational learning, which her mentors Chris Argyris and Donald Schön are both big names in that field. Since I am a big fans to Argyris and Schön's work, and since I live from quite a remoted place (another side of the globe), the easiest and the most accessable way to know about these masters' work is through their writings. However, Argyris and Schön's work is never easy to penetrate, frustrated but not deterred by the difficulty, I started to cash after their disciples' work, which includes Roger Schwarz, Peter Block and etc, all are very good works indeed. Nevertheless, no one previous work is quite like Smith's new book.

Though there were so many writings written on Argyrian intervention. The sad thing, however, is, there's a group of very VERY good consultants in Action Design (google it, please), which by now they are the one whom most live-up to Arygris and Schön's spirit, they rarely write. Maybe because the work is so embedded in actions, and maybe they knew clearly that it is never easy to convey the practice, on paper.

And at one time, I stumbled on Diana's "A Reflection on Donald Schön" (after the death of Donald Schön), it was such a poetic piece, and indeed very beautifully written. And at that time, I am waiting for her work, really on her own, to get published. I didn't know when, I even didn't know if she had such plan, but that was really my wish, to see her work appears in this planet. And after reading Divide Or Conquer, I must say this is far better than I could imagine.

Interestingly, this book is one of my slowest reads. I read, I stop, I contemplate (on how the scene happened), I hold my breath, and I sigh, occasionally. Every word tells, is what I can say. If Action Science is such a tacit knowledge, such that practitioners know more than they can tell, then I think Smith has stretched the limit of `telling' to a new dimension. I guess, and could only guess, that her strategy to use a lot of narratives is a key to convey the message through the media, which usually would drained away by other ways of informing (like, writing in a third-person stance). Smith has put all the gems in those stories, and make it highly readable, and with a lot of funs and humors.

The whole book is nearly jargon-free, and Smith particularly picked Steve Jobs and John Sculley's story to set the stage, which she immediately showed her sophisticated ability to narrate, to analysis, and to pin to the heart that not many of us willing to and have enough practice to discuss: how key relationship turns bad, really bad.

Though the whole book is full of dialogues and stories, it still maintains a balance to give a very useful and actionable structure for serious practitioners to follow, and try out the similar intervention. I vow to follow and to practice on this structure. And I must say, it's not quite like Argyris, or I would say, it's beyond Argyris.

I once read Bob Putnam's (of Action Design) commented on the possible breakdown of applying action science, and he said, when it deals with the `relationship structure,' it is not quite useful to continue to use that knowledge. But I was hanging out there, until I read Divide Or Conquer, I start to know what relationship structure really means, and how to get out that kind of mug. It's definitely 30 years of practice in one shot. I bet this is not quite possible for one whom didn't gone through David Kantor, Donald Schön, Chris Argyris, and of course, Bruce Patten and Roger Fisher (all are the best practitioners in their own field), one couldn't possibly wrote a book like this.

I doubt that if this book could change the world, as our world is now in such a deep trouble. Nevertheless, I am quite sure, and have high hope that, this book could definitely transform a lot of relationships, and makes our live more appreciative and meaningful, including mine, hopefully.

This tape set was incredibly helpful. Listen as you drive and feel empowered to help your organization grow.

The book "The Fifth Discipline" is a standard in the field of Organizational Learning. The CD is interesting to hear, sometimes a bit lengthy, butin any case worthwhile hearing!

I must say I think I was lucky on reading this book after I had read "The art of systems thinking" and being familiar with the concept of feedback loops, etc. Yet what makes this cd-book unique is not only the fact that cover the essentials of systems thinking, but also to the fact that you have to personal values that will make you recognize interdependencies and the fact that there are lags to deal with, and that wisdom is indeed a time process.

The insights are so deep, the narration so intimate, the examples so clear.. this is one of my favorite for my 10 hour drives.

If you are in a leadership position, read this book! If you want to be in a leadership position, read this book! Change management is one of the more challenging aspects of leading any organization or team. Change in your organization to create a "Learning Organization", can put your team at the front of the pack. This book seems to the best analytical manual I have read that helps accomplish this goal. This book puts it in perspective from the viewpoint of "Circular Thinking" versus "Linear Thinking". Through leveraging, you can develop your organization into a learning one. The book works in concert with 5 Learning Disciplines and 10 system archetypes that can help develop you to be a circular thinker, or a systems thinker. My favorite archetypes that hit home the most to me were: Balancing Process With Delay, Fixes That Fail, and Eroding Goals. All ten are rock solid, but I related the most to those three.
If you want you and your organization to grow together, I recommend this book.

The Fifth Discipline is a seminal book by the famous author Peter M. Senge. The book teaches the concept of the learning organization namely that the successful organization must continually adapt and learn in order to respond to changes in the environment effectively and therefore to grow and prosper. I have read the book a number of times and keep on referring to it as is filled with a lot useful knowledge and wisdom. System thinking and learning is critical to organisational growth and development in the present highly dynamic operating environment.

According to Peter Senge, "real learning gets to the heart of what it means to be human. Through learning we re-create ourselves. Through learning we become able to do something we never were able to do. Through learning we reperceive the world and our relationship to it. Through learning we extend our capacity to create, to be part of the generative process of life. There is within each of us a deep hunger for this type of learning"--powerful advice indeed from a real learning guru.

I recommend this book for individuals interested in understanding the nature of how organizations develop, how behaviours are formed, and how organizations achieve growth and augment their capabilities. You will learn how to improve the way your organization or department functions, how to review and improve systems and how to develop shared visions, create long term goals among other critical insights.

THIS IS THE STORY OF THE NEW YORK JETS, HOW FAILURE AFTER FAILURE HAS FILLED THEIR HISTORY. THIS STORY DESCRIBES IN GREAT DETAIL THE FEW SUCESSFUL SEASONS AND THE MANY DISAPPOINTING AND TOTALLY PAIN FILLED ONES. THE AUTHOR DOES A GREAT JOB DESCRIBING AND INTERVIEWING THE PEOPLE WHO WERE DURING THESE DISASTEROUS TIMES. FROM WEEB AND JOE TO THE COMING OF THE TUNA, THIS BOOK HELD MY INTEREST AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL FOOTBALL FANS, I FEEL THE JETS PAIN.

This is a well-written history of the New York Jets. It covers the one great accomplishment (Super Bowl III) and the many failures and disappointments. As a fan you love the team and always get your hopes even though you know they will dash them in the end. This book covers those emotions well.

Gerry gave a very honest account of the New York Jets.

You'll enjoy the stories of the early years. Recounting the selling of season tickets from the apartment of one of the original owners, Walt Michaels finding a "good practice field" while flying home from a game (it was located on the grounds of a NYC prison), the press' examination of Joe Namath's knee in the restroom of a local restaurant and many others.

Those who were at that dreadful Miami comeback at the Meadowlands in 1994 will relive that sick feeling in the pit of their stomachs.

Parcells has come and gone and we still don't have another appearance in the Super Bowl. This book might expain why.

But we return each season with high hopes of reaching the big game. Reading Mr. Eskenazi's book will remind all of us of the pain we go through to have some fun on a sunny Sunday afternoon in the Meadowlands (NJ).

Well written, exciting and very difficult to relive all the abysmal moments in Jets history. END

Along came Bill Parcells and New York thought its troubles were over. Last year we were a half hour from the Superbowl and now we're in the cellar again. If you find yourself scratching your head and asking why. This book has the answers--the history of the Gang Green struggle and where we went wrong.

The New York Yankees are the most popular and successful franchise in major league baseball history. They have boasted such legendary performers as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, and Reggie Jackson. Those great players and teams can all be found in The New York Yankee Encyclopedia, the most complete record of Yankee baseball ever published.

An in-depth volume that include statistics on every Yankee player and manager, more than 250 classic photos, chapters on different Yankee eras, rivalries, ball parks, and much more

The New York Yankees are the most popular and successful franchise in major league baseball history. They have boasted such legendary performers as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, and Reggie Jackson. Those great players and teams can all be found in The New York Yankee Encyclopedia, the most complete record of Yankee baseball ever published. From their humble beginnings in 1903 as the Highlanders through nine decades of unforgettable players, teams, and classic games, noted baseball author and historian Harvey Frommer has compiled everything about the history and lore of this fabled club in the one book no true Yankee fan can afford to be without.

Here is the ultimate reference for baseball's most storied team.The "Bronx Bombers" have won 35 American League pennants and 24 World Series championships, and have boasted such legendary performers as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, and Reggie Jackson. 250 photos.

I bask in the loveliness of being the fan of the baseball team of the millenium! The Yankees have won for three consecutive years and there is no stopping them! I have Yankee fever. I like a book that describes the history of this amazing team and its past accomplishments. I marvel at the fact that so many great players have been part of this team. I also enjoyed reading the stats of past players and the rookies. This is a book that every Yankees' fan should own. Go Yankees!

I laughed. I learned. I loved Open Net.

Plimpton summarizes (page 254) his experience with the Bruins to Junior Achievers in Edmonton, "I described some of my brief forays into sports as a participatory journalist, and what it was like, and how I envied the athletes their skills and the fellowship, but how I had always left their camps with a faint twinge of relief that I was returning to my own world..."

Plimpton is the vanguardist for creative-nonfiction/participatory journalism, and Open Net is the standard by which other hockey books should be measured. I envy not his weak ankles, for they're as instable as his writing is strong, but rather his wit and way of balancing humor and enlightenment.

I didn't grow up in New England, but I suspect those that have will still enjoy the way Plimpton brings back to life the boldness and brashness, the grit and the glory, of the Big Bad Bruins.

From Plimpton's interaction with the likes of "Grapes" and "Taz" and with goalies "Seaweed," and "Cheesy" to our hero's own moment in the crease, you'll want to stand up and cheer!

If you enjoy Ice Hockey, especially from a historical perspective, this is the book to read. Fans of Don Cherry will love this book.

THIS IS ONE OF PLIMPTON'S BEST. I REALLY ENJOYED HIS STORY PLAYING GOAL FOR THE BRUINS. HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH VARIOUS PLAYERS AND COACHES ARE EXCELLENT. HIS DESCRIPTIONS OF THE EVENTS MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE RIGHT THERE ON THE ICE WITH HIM. PLIMPTON DOESN'T WASTE TOO MUCH TIME DESCRIBING HIS SURROUNDINGS LIKE HE DOES IN OTHER BOOKS. HE GOES STRAIGHT TO THE POINT. SOME HIGHLIGHTS ARE DESCRIBING HOW HE PUTS HIS UNIFORM ON IN A DETAILED ORDER, OLD STORIES ABOUT EDDIE SHORE, AND HIS ACTUAL TIME ON THE ICE PLAYING GOAL DURING A COUPLE OF EXHIBITION GAMES MAKE THIS A GREAT READ.

As a big hockey fan, and a goaltender, this was just required reading. Yet, it turned out to be more. This well written, quick read was a gas to enjoy and quote. I will be glad to read others by George Plimpton, and I'm already on the hunt for PAPER LION.
I guess thats my ringing endorcement. If I'm looking to read a book on football, the author must be wonderful. Quick, funny, well written, and vastly enjoyable, you wont regret buying this book, no matter what the price.

George Plimpton once again dons a uniform and plays a game. This time he tackles hockey while training with the Boston Bruins.
Plimpton does a wonderful job of painting a realistic view of life as a goalie. He uses the voices of other players to help the story along, rather than as just filler from big names. He also tells his tale without a lot of false excitement. You can tell he totally loves the experience, yet at times, you can see the effort does drain him (naturally).
His comments about and conversations with the likes of 'Seaweed' Pettie, Garry Cheevers and Don Cheery really add a lot of depth to the book. In conversations I have had with some of these men, I clearly got the point that they enjoyed this as much as Plimpton did and as much as I did as a reader.
This is a great read for the unfulfilled athlete in all of us.

From beginning to end it keeps you on the edge of your seat! An insightful and frightening journey into the world of spritual warfare that will leave you sleeping with the lights on. I'm an avid reader and never before has a book haunted my dreams like this one. Heisler is definately among the best! Can't wait for his next!

SALVATION is the real deal. I like it more than Stephen King's THE SHINING and possibly more than Blatty's novel THE EXORCIST.

I've read hundreds of horror novels, and I can spot a good one.

SALVATION consists of a prologue and six parts. I recommend skipping the prologue at first and waiting until after you've finished reading part three. Read the prologue sometime after that.

I think one of the main characters should appear in some sequels, but I'm concerned about some of his powers. I think Arandavius has too much power to heal people and undo physical damage to objects. (At least the author limited Arandavius in some way: he can't cure insanity.)

I hope the storyline of any sequel features action in at least two places at the same time. Arandavius apparently can't be in two places at once. (He can travel quickly though -- almost instanteously. He just walks into a shadowy corner in one room and walks -out- of a shadowy corner in a completely different building. Pretty cool.)

Also recommended: Heisler's "Santa's Little Helpers", Stephen King's "Cell" and "Desperation", and William Peter Blatty's "The Exorcist."

PLEASE FORGIVE MY WRITING BUT ALL I CAN SAY IS "WOW", I STARTED THIS BOOK DURING THE DAY AND WAS AFRAID TO GO DOWN THE BASEMENT! AS IT GOT DARKER SO DID MY IMAGINATION, SO I DIDN'T MOVE WITHOUT MY DOG BESIDE ME. I HAVEN'T BEEN AFRAID TO SLEEP WITHOUT A LIGHT ON SINCE THE "EXORCIST", BUT MY ELECTRIC BILL IS DOING DOUBLE TIME! I CANNOT WAIT FOR A SEQUEL, I'M HOPING THERE IS GOING TO BE ONE. I LOVE THE WRITERS STYLE AND I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO BE AN AUTHOR TO LOOK FOR ON THE BEST SELLERS LIST! GLAD I GOT THIS BOOK AS A CHRISTMAS GIFT, IT WAS VERY GOOD.

W A Heisler has quickly become one of my favorite authors. This book is a great read. It kept me in suspense and on constant guard of my surroundings while I read it. I highly recommend it!

move over dean koontz, stephen king, peter straub. there's one new scary mother in town. i read this book in record time. characters will forever be memorable. arandavius is impressive, i do not want to ever meet him in a dark or well lit place, but i definitely want him in my corner in the event that i would have to need him. i will also say that one night when i finished reading, i kept the lights on all the way to bed, if i wasn't a mature, fairly rational adult, i would have looked under the bed. awesome book. loved it, can't wait for the next book.

Please note: This book contains an error. When visiting the Koret Health & Recreation Center, the Red Pass ONLY allows you access before 2pm (Monday-Thursday) and anytime on Friday-Sunday. You can NOT attend a group exercise class if time restrictions apply.

In the City by the Bay and its surrounding other cities. Change and Restructure in the Work place is so common that Time Off from the corporate grind is expected and can be useful too. This book shows you how to make excellent use of your Time Off in between the next career adventure.

I've been reading this book while commuting to work. Yes, I wrote work! I still have one, but I have uncertainties. So I thought "Hmm this can be a good how-to book just in case in a couple of weeks I get fired or laid off. Excellent! hehehe." The book is very helpful as it suggests where to eat and shop when your tiny little checking account is about depleted. Saying that, they mentioned as well how to obtain/maintain your finances. Humor and tidbits of SF made this book a best buy. There are some websites that are no longer up, but not to worry, just email the writers for updates. Whether you're working or not, who's in a tight budget or no budget at all, this is a great book! And.. you'll be surprise of how much you don't know of SF, I don't till this book.

Yesterday was my one year anniversary of not working. I picked up this book shortly afterwards and as a result, I have to say that this last year was the best year of my life. I have to highly recommend it for the unemployed of the SF Bay Area. Not only does it provide some interesting, low-cost things to do in the City, but also (and more importantly), it addresses the psychology of unemployment. It's easy to get in a funk when you're unemployed - this book will help you see it for a chance of an excellent adventure.

Escaping unscathed from the dot-com fallout, Dean LaTourrette and Kristine Enea have taken a cue from Cary Grant's character in 1938's "Holiday" when he chose to take an extended period of adventurous unemployment despite pressure from his fiancée's family to accept a staid, unfulfilling job at a bank. Although they state that they have been "successfully unemployed since 2001", each has found the financial means to pursue their creative interests in order to build an ideal leisure lifestyle. Their most renowned outlet has been their "Time Off!" books, which I think are terrific, eminently readable resources for those wondering how to handle the abrupt reversal between time and money when between jobs.

I still have a ragged, used copy of the first edition which was called "The Unemployed Guide to San Francisco". The switch to "Leisure" seems quite intentional, especially since much of the text is directed to anyone in a high-stress situation. In fact, the first part of the book is devoted to the art of leisure, and it gives informative stepwise advice on managing the transition to unemployment. This section covers not only the psychological aspects, including nagging feelings of guilt and dismantling time schedules based on going to work, but also practical advice on dealing with dwindling financial resources. I particularly like how they clearly define the three phases of money management - Finance 101 for planning and budgeting, Finance 202 for paying off debt and keeping a cash reserve, and Finance 303 for getting cash in the immediate term.

By far the biggest part of the book, Part 2 is a cleverly organized guide to free or low-cost activities in San Francisco, including museums, festivals, volunteer organizations and a great matrix of the more famous coffeehouses. Granted some of the information is dated (e.g., the National Maritime Museum is closed until 2009), this was still immensely helpful to me when I was unemployed and trying to live comfortably in one of the world's most expensive cities. There is even a large section on travel and how you can reasonably journey to far-flung locales on a budget. It's inevitable that the book should end with how to manage the transition back to the job hunt and work, and the co-authors remain steadfast in ensuring you incorporate leisure even during this process. The revised book feels a bit heavier, but the graphics remain pleasing and the text relatively light-hearted. I think it's a great instructional resource for those trying to make the best of a most trying time.