Professional Books

This book provides an exhaustive step-by-step examination of all of the elements that need to be considered for architecting a Linux cluster. The coverage is application neutral: High Performance Computing (HPC), Web load-balancing clusters, Enterprise computing centers; no matter. The details common to all clusters are thoroughly discussed.
As a Linux cluster developer of 7 years, I was able to expand and improve my own design processes to better cover all of the issues necessary to architect my designs. I heartily recommended this book to anyone designing a cluster of any size.

* a little bit too chatty (e.g. on page 162 he starts lecturing you about the meaning of 'freedom' after using the book's and your minds real estate telling you on page 36 about disposing of packaging hardware, ... @@, ;-))
* still using RH for 'serious' Linux work?
* pg 172, statement about Debian not supporting AMD "as of this writing" (?!) Could have just included the sentence. "check as of your reading of the book"
* no mention of transmeta's technological hardware advances (company itself may very soon go south) but their 'ideas' are really promising (for servers with very low power comsumption)
* pg 209, problems with RAID and root filesystem and things. You could just run Debian from a Live CD and leave all writable RAID disks along

The book describes in simple reproducable steps how to build a medium to medium big sized cluster. It also devides the clusters into the three main types,

HPC *High performance computing,
High Throughput and
High Availability cluster

and describes their usages. The book is describing cluster projects more from a bird view and gives a whole sight overview including budget calculations, comparing several architectures also by their technology and environmental conditions (Power usage, Cooling requirements etc.).

The book is not only hard to beat but also the perfect companion to the Linux Enterprise Cluster from Karl Kopper. While Karls book is a bit more practical it concentrates only on the technical configuration of "small" clusters.

Here is where Lubke comes in and extends that knowledge by the many environmental factors *Budget, technical considerations, Calculations, Estimates, Planning what to expect from your hardware *Performance, Weight, Heat, Flooring considerations etc.

After you read the book, you will have learned all necessary steps to build your own clusters. The "only" thing left to you is to put the ship to water ;-)

An incredible book and a real eye opener !!

This book is a very straightforward, clearly written and valuable introduction to Linux clustering. Geared toward system folks, it also provides numerous `on-ramps' into the basics of clustering to accommodate quick, relevant review of supporting technology for the reader. It is essentially a map for getting from start to finish in any Linux cluster project. Specific situations, conditions, and expectations differ across projects, of course, and such points are identified well in the text with pointers to additional information provided.

Scientific computing (HPC) is addressed well, and is more of the topic than any other cluster flavor, though the others are discussed as well (after all, who wouldn't want a side order of high availability with their HPC?). My cluster background personally was mostly high availability (Microsoft Wolfpack), so I appreciated the HPC overview, especially since I was already building a Linux cluster for my bio-algorithms that depended on HPC. This book helped me get every gflop out of my admittedly 2ndhand student hardware.

If you are getting involved with a cluster project or have one potentially on the horizon, and need a clear overview of what may lay ahead, pick up this book. For its measly sticker price, you get two solid discussion weeks with an expert. Go calculate that one:)
5 stars

This book is very well organized, gets right to the point, has some dry humor (a tradition in technical books) but its not overdone (overdoing it is also a tradition). You really couldn't ask for more. The thing I like most about this book, is the author is very direct. I have some experience with the publishing industry, and authors are *PAID BY THE PAGE*. Which gives them a tremendous incentive to dilute the material into unreadable crap. This author avoids this and deserves the highest praise for doing so.

Not only is this cookbook chocked full of interesting recipes, but it is gorgeous! The photos accompanying each season are breathtaking - if you can appreciate the subtle beauty of food itself.

First off, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Chef Ramsay enjoys the flavor of lavender and chocolate as much as I do! I used to make white chocolate and lavender truffles for the spring and I was thrilled to see a recipe for "Mille-Feuille of Chocolate with Lavender": a light dark chocolate ganache with steeped lavender piped over layers of puff pastry. He even serves lavender flavored ice cream on the side! Simply beautiful.

Obviously, the chapters are divided by the four seasons. At the beginning of each chapter, Chef Ramsay informs us as to why the vegetables, fruits and meats belong in each season. Followed are the recipes which may seem a bit daunting to the average chef. As in his other books, there is a good mixture of easy dishes that make this cookbook worth its weight.

Spring recipes that were fun and easy included "Whiting with Lemon and Parsley Crust", "Ricotta Gnocchi with Peas and Fava Beans" and "White Chocolate and Lemon Mousse".
Summer recipes include "Lobster with Mango and Spinach Salad", "Poached Salmon with Gewürztraminer Sauce" and "Loin of Beef with Watercress Puree".
Fall recipes that were a joy to make are "Lentil and Langoustine Soup (I substituted Cray Fish for the Langoustine)", "Tomato and Parmesan Gratinee Tarts" and "Monkfish with Creamy Curried Mussels" (a bit expensive but makes a great romantic dinner for two!). Winter recipes we enjoyed were "Smoked Haddock and Mustard Chowder", "Seafood in Nage with Carrot Spaghetti" (you do have to make the Nage(a vegetable broth) ahead of time but it is totally worth it!) and "Veal Chops with a cream of Winter Vegetables" (we actually substituted the Veal for Chicken and it worked well. Pork chops might also work, but you are not going to get the same texture.)

Again, at the back of the book is a plethora of cooking techniques, broth recipes and miscellaneous kitchen information.

`A Chef for All Seasons' by the English high tempered chef, Gordon Ramsay looks like and is very much of a `follow the trend' book, just as `healthy eating' and `quick cooking' themes are bandwagons on which cookbook writers jump to squeeze another ounce of interest out of their audience for their latest book. Unlike some other seasonally or calendar oriented books such as Alfred Portale's `The 12 Seasons', Nigel Slater's `The Kitchen Diaries' and Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette various `Twelve Month' cookbooks, the recipes in this book offer little real guidance to when it is best to make these various recipes. As the author himself says, for him, summer begins in early May and most of the best produce is available closer to autumn than in high summer.

Except for a very few fruits and vegetables such as fava beans and strawberries in spring, tomatoes and corn in late summer, there is little reason aside perhaps from cost from restricting oneself to strictly seasonal produce, except for price. While my favorite local supermarket carries excellent asparagus the year around, it's price jumps from $1.99 to $2.99 in late summer, to drop back a dollar in March, and briefly drop to $1.69 (a pound) in May and June. So, I don't eat asparagus at $3 a pop, but do eat it every other month. Similarly, I don't make dishes with beefsteak tomatoes quite as often in the winter and spring as I do in high summer, but I don't eschew them entirely in winter. So, unless you are willing to literally graph out prices and availability of produce based on supermarket prices in your area, most seasonal considerations seem like a waste of time. Because, if you can't get it at all (like fresh fava beans in October), the question is moot, and if you can get it at a reasonable price and at a reasonable quality, the small difference between seasonal and off seasonal produce shipped in from Chile probably won't make a big difference to you, especially when you are looking at Master Ramsay's recipes, where the prep and cooking time are worth far more than that extra dollar you may pay for off season blueberries.

The other side of the coin is that Gordon Ramsay's recipes are very, very good without using excessively expensive ingredients except as options and they are (relatively) easy for `haute cuisine' dishes. So, this book is more of an argument to select Gordon Ramsay as your primary source for fancy dishes, instead of Eric Rippert or Albert Portale or Tom Colicchio or Joel Robuchon or Michael Romano or Charlie Trotter. Compared to many of these chef / authors, Ramsay is equally as fussy, but manages to follow the dictum of using the best ingredients and being as careful as possible not to muck them up. And, unlike some of his preachier colleagues, he concentrates on the simple procedures rather than on the gratuitous yapping about using fresh ingredients. For us in the peanut gallery, we pick the best that we can get without traveling 20 miles out of our way. Even foodies have a life beyond cooking and marketing.

For those of you unfamiliar with Ramsay's style, it is very, very French in technique with lots of creamy sauces, soups, and confits. It may not be the kind of thing you would pick for a low calorie diet, but it is not quite as fat laden as the provincial cuisine of southwestern France (see Paula Wolfert's excellent new edition on the subject). As usual, the most sprightly and revealing blurb on the back cover comes from the always eloquent Tony Bourdain, who describes this as `...food porn at its most lush...', a far more original approbation than the overworked `decadent'.

I confess I was not immediately as impressed with this book as I have been with some of Ramsay's other books, but this is largely due to what seems like less general information on cooking technique and more space on the recipes themselves. There is, however, still a fair amount of gems on various foods here. For example, he gives an excellent argument for preferring your mangoes firm and not quite ripe to the squishy red ones soft to the touch. But, the very best part of the book for the foodie cook is the last section on `basic recipes and techniques', especially if your library is not already filled with tomes from Jacques Pepin, the CIA, and James Peterson on basic kitchen skills. The most interesting recipe here is the one for `Vegetable nage' that on the surface is very similar to a vegetable stock, but it seems to be a cross between a veggie stock and a court bouillon. It is not cooked as long as stocks and it seems to have a longer refrigerator life than meat or fish stocks. While this is a classic French term and concept, I have not seen recipes for it in many other books. By pure coincidence, I noticed a very similar recipe in the book `Full On Irish' by Irish Michelin starred chef, Kevin Dundon which he describes as a kitchen garden vegetable stock. I don't even recall seeing this in Deborah Madison's great works on vegetable stocks.

All of Ramsay's measurements are Yankee friendly, as everything is measured by cup, spoon, or count and not by gram or liter. He also does a better job of displaying ingredients lists so that units and ingredient names are all put on separate lines or columns. Unfortunately, he does not do this in the `basic recipes' section. But, since almost all items are simply counts, the problem is not acute.

This is another reason to make Gordon Ramsay your celebrity chef/writer of choice, especially as his books are reasonably priced and very attractive to look at, with full oversized pages of well-chosen pics (but without captions!).

Recommended.

If only Gordon Ramsay had been writing cookbooks when I was learning to cook some 50 years ago, I never would have bought another series of cookbooks. He's that good.

Rather than a culinary version of "A Man for All Seasons," Gordon Ramsay's "A Chef for All Seasons" is a wonderful collection of great (read "Scottish") recipes.

(...)

Gordon Ramsay's A Chef for All Seasons is a cookbook you can use for those super special occasions: when you want to impress those friends, who love to cook themselves, or when you just want to eat really awesome food yourself. A lot of the recipes call for expensive ingredients, like lobster, goose fat, the obligatory truffles and foie gras. But there are also quite a few recipes with more common ingredients, which are real gems. I just want to mention the Veal Chops with a Cream of Winter Vegetables (even Gordon calls this "a nice recipe for a mid-week dinner") and the Pillows of Ricotta Gnocchi with Peas and Fèves.

The recipes is divided into four chapters, one for each season, which is a great plus in a cookbook. Each chapter contains recipes for starters, entrees and desserts. The last chapter is Basic Recipes and Techniques, which contains instructional photographs. Finally, the index has entries for each ingredient used.

It's great fun to read about how things are done in Gordon Ramsay's restaurant, e.g. "Boil the potatoes still in their skin until just tender. Drain and peel them while hot. (We do this wearing rubber gloves to protect our hands.)" in the recipe for Pillows of Ricotta Gnocchi with Peas and Fèves.

His perfectionistic style makes some recipes seem harder than necessary. After following his recipe closely the first time I make it, it is usually easy to see some shortcuts without sacrificing the quality of the end product (I imagine that Gordon will wholeheartedly disagree with this).

To conclude, I would highly recommend this cookbook for the experienced cook, who wants to surprise others (or her/himself) with great food.

This was a required text for a design class. I found it pretty useful (in conjunction with the other text), and ended up keeping both for reference books when the class was completed.

Well written and informative. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about color.

There are zillions of books on this complex world of color.

This one is the best for all Interior Designers, students and teachers, it is written by John F. Pile, an authority in Interior Design. You will enjoy learning the Color Systems for your business, and covers the historical aspect of of the Bauhaus School of Design, and also color in Historic Interiors, including artists and personal experiences.

Michele Beatriz

it's a really helpful book for designers.you can find whatever you need about colors...

As a lay person just interested in learning more about the use of color in interior design, this was an excellent book. While the first several chapters were very "text bookish", the remainder was very layman friendly. I feel more confident in undertaking color projects in my home and in conversing about the use of color with friends, who are now asking my opinions. The chapters that helped me the most were on the color wheel and color relationships. I enjoyed it and will now pursue my interest in color and design.

This book is easy to read and understand. It reads like a book, not like a laundry list of signs and symptoms so it's easier to remember concepts. I used this book in conjunction with the PASS CCRN CD. I never used the PASS CCRN book though. I recommend this book to all my colleagues who plan on taking the CCRN. I can't say enough good things about it. I passed the CCRN with the first try.

Both interesting to read and understand. The information is not too in-depth to cause overload but adequately covers each topic. You get what you need.

I would have to say that this is the best CCRN review book out there. It is easily readable, comprehensive, and includes many practice questions to help you determine if you understand, can apply, and can remember the material. I have bought other review books, but unfortunately, they have been in outline forms and not as valuable. They get boring quick too! I have no problems with the little bits of extra infomration included in this book that may or may not be on the exam as it helps you comprehend the other information and serves as a review. I have bought other books that only have questions for review and I must say that I tried some of them without this book and did so so, but not great. After reading the sections of this book, I went back to those questions and others I had not done and did much much, much better, as I had reviewed the information and had a better understanding of the material! I certianly think this is a good book for anyone planning to take the CCRN exam or wishing to brush up and learn more about critical care nursing in general! I definately believe this book is the book I need to help me pass the CCRN. I am planning to take the exam in September- I will leave and update to how I do after! Thanks again for this book.

I too thought that the first chapter was hard to get through--the cardiovascular section is extremely thorough and has quite a bit of information that really isn't addressed on the exam. The remaining chapters, however, were much easier reading, and the explanations are so much better than what I have found in other books. The book also has an extensive collection of practice questions, and while it does not give rationales for the correct answers, it does direct you to where it was covered in the book. I used several resources to study for the exam and this one was by far the most complete. I am currently in a graduate program working on my CCNS and I still use this book all of the time as a reference for my assignments.

I attended AACN's NTI critical care conference in 2007, and had the privilege of attending lectures by Thomas Ahrens. After studying tons of material in preparation for the exam, this was the last book I purchased. It should have been the first and only one I purchased. Ahrens simplifies complex concepts in an interesting manner, and covers material you WILL SEE on the exam. This book was the most helpful resource I utilized! He presents hundreds of scenarios and practice questions, which were priceless when I sat for the exam. I passed the paper-and-pencil, full-length CCRN exam on the first try. Great prep indeed from Ahrens - a valuable and brilliant critical care expert.

Tip: If you want in-depth info (down to the cellular level), try using the "Core Curriculum" from AACN as an added source. Although Ahrens' book is the most in-line with the actual exam, if you desire advanced pathophysiological data, you will require another source.

Jennifer has written an amazing book that has inspired change in how I handle and relate to money. It is a pleasant, inspiring method to really get a different look at finances. It is unlike any other book out there about money, thankfully! She also includes an interactive website with lots of help, be sure to check it out as well. You will love this read and all of her helpful advice, to put your finances in check and become a "Money Architect." I loved this book! Thank you Jennifer!

It amazes me that some people would prefer NOT to know their financial situation because they're so afraid of what they might discover. Jennifer Wilkov takes the young and/or naive by their hands and shows them that financial acumen is part of the bedrock of self-awareness, self-acceptance, self-respect and self-love.

In BACK TO THE GARDEN: Getting from Shadow to Joy, which has won five awards in spiritual, inspirational and non-fiction categories, I touch on the importance of financial awareness. DATING YOUR MONEY gives people a step-by-step to get there.

Like our relationships with people, the methods we use to build a strong financial future determine the outcome of our relationship with wealth. It all begins with a vision that says, "That is where I want to go." From vision comes desire which says, "I want that more than anything." Desire continues with discipline which asks, "What do I need to do to get there?" From discipline there must rise determination which says "I will make it no matter what." Finally comes the celebration of success. In human relationships dating ends up in a wedding celebration. The wedding ceremony is not just a celebration of the love of two people. It is a declaration of commitment to keep using the methods that got you where you are and to keep adding new ones to keep things alive.

Statistically, three out of every four women will end up alone and solely responsible for their finances. Death, divorce, desertion and an increasing number of women who choose not to marry mean that women MUST take responsibility for saving and investing. Women who are realists know that a relationship with money can last longer than a relationship with a spouse; men who truly love their women will want them to learn these tips...
My lectures for Australian Businesswomen's Network and Fernwood Women's Health Clubs reinforce Jenny's written information: sisters just HAVE to do it for themselves! :-)

"They say it is better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable, but how about a compromise like moderately rich and just moody." --Princess Diana

I expected Dating Your Money to contain fluff that a straight-forward CPA/Attorney like me would find a waste of time. I was wrong. The book contains a well thought out series of suggestions from an experienced Certified Finacial Planner that can help women gain control of their finances. I can attest to the emotional misery of many clients who could improve the quality of their lives if they were to read and embrace the ideas in Dating Your Money by Jennifer S. Wicov.

James Lange, CPA/Attorney, author of Retire Secure! Pay Taxes Later, The Key to Making Your Money Last as Long as You Do.

A very good book for those who want to learn advanced concepts in OS. Since it is a open source the book is very useful in understanding how they look like. The paper quality is too good, which makes u read non stop. i luv reading this book. Price worth it. A good buy.

A BSD Bible. I never could read the Bible. I do Believe ...

650+ pages of truth and gore. I (as a sysadmin and BSD boomer) related most to the History (Ch.1) and Startup/Shutdown (final Ch.14). Memory management and other gore escapes me. GOOD JOB!

First of all you should be warned that this is not an introduction to get started with UNIX kernel programming. The Design of the UNIX Operating System by M.J. Bach provides a good general introduction to UNIX kernel programming. The design and implementation of the FreeBSD operating system is an excellent book to deepen knowledge of the UNIX kernel by looking how a current UNIX is implemented in practice. Even if you plan to write code for another kernel, working through the FreeBSD kernel with this book as a guide is a good excercise to become consious of the fundamental problems and solutions in kernel design. FreeBSD (or any of the other BSDs) is a good starting point, because the BSDs have relatively stable kernel subsystems and APIs due to the long cycles in BSD development.

The writing style of the authors is to the point (don't expect a novel) and clear. The troff typesetting of the book gives it a consistent style and simple, but clear diagrams (though I heard that some diagrams were hand-drawn). The book doesn't just drop the reader in a kernel subsystem. The second chapter gives a detailed explanation of the various kernel subsystems, and the relation between the subsystems. The third chapter gives a summary of what is expected from a kernel from the user level. Combined these two chapters give the reader the necessary conception of the FreeBSD kernel to start looking at individual parts of the kernel in detail. Most remaining chapters are logically ordered, in that subsystems are ordered from parts with less dependencies to parts with more dependencies (e.g. memory management and I/O are covered before filesystems).

If you are interested in UNIX programming, you should have this book on your bookshelf (as well as a CVS checkout of the FreeBSD kernel tree to read the implementation).

Before I encountered this book it was quite a bit of frustration in attempt to learn BSD and UNIX to the point I can really use it. For some reason there so many good books in a subject with one of two inclinations: or the book is too theoretical and very little of the real workflow provided or it is too down to earth and it is difficult to understand what is behind the sophisticated command line zingers.
I found this book to be well balanced, well written and generally providing good, accessible way to get into BSD. I have followed advise in someone's review here and coupled this book with Linux and UNIX for a beginner training suite, 4DVDs + 2CDs includes 4 Unix Academy Certifications ed.2008. To my great surprise I have to say they really have made an outstanding training outfit!
If you really ready for a training and do not expect that UNIX will come to you overnight it is worthy book and deserves your attention.

For the other side of the story, you may wish to check out the most recent "Inside Microsoft Windows" or "Microsoft Windows Internals" by Mark Russinovich.

I've been making window treatments for about 6 yrs and I have to say that this is my favorite book by far of all the window treatments books that I have purchased. Not only does it give all sorts of great information its sketches are sooo creative. I find designs in this book that I have not seen anywhere before. A must have for all workrooms!!!

Clear illustrations. I think about every type of window treatment is covered. Can help maximize sales with customers. A must have for all Drapery Professionals and Designers. No more misunderstandings between customer and designers. Can hardly wait for Jackie's NEW bedcovering book to come out next year. I will be one of the first to buy it.

Fabulous! Most comprhensive in the window covering industry. Which does make it large and heavy. Highly recommend this book

I am an interior designer with a start up company. The Design Directory of Window Treatments is an absolute much- this is an invaluable tool to someone who really needs assistance with window treatments. The CD is also a great tool. I could not be happier with my purchase!

Fast and simple, my title says it all. The book is well worth the cost, with wonderful sketches and terrific organization.

This book is very interesting, part cookbook part Hollywood scandles.

Laurie Jacobson delves into some of Tinsletowns most interesting stories.
From the murder trial of Spade Cooley (who killed his second wife in the 1940's) to the untimly death of the orginal Edna Turnblat (Divine) Lauie Jacobson tells about the scandals and then shows a recipe connected to that person (After talking about Roman Polanski she shares a recipe for the nachos he at before fleeing to Europe during his rape trial.)

A very interesting book.

I had so much fun reading this book! The stories are great and Miss Jacobson clears up a lot of false Hollywood rumors. The best part about this book is that it includes chapters about some forgotten stars like Carole Landis, Dorothy Kilgallen, and Lupe Velez. Anyone who is a fan of classic Hollywood and loves juicy gossip will want this book.

I fortuitously fell into this little gem the day after xmas.....a belated "BEST" present to myself.
While I already own Jacobson's two other books and hold her in high regard, this book proves that she is only getting better as a film historian and writer.
She assumes a slick, quasi-cinema noir persona in her narrative and mixes in a Sandra Lee-like easy 'recipe' that takes a not too subtle slam at each of the scandals/stories she relates. The vanity of the 'dish' (aka scandal/tragedy/hard luck story) only enhances the general readability of this book. This is a novel approach that makes an already interesting product even more appealing. I kept thinking that the author did a terrific job with the material she was presenting.
Aside from the kidding around, this book is really rather fair and factual. The author knows her stuff and relies on knowledgeable sources to substantiate or refute claims made in the book.
My only criticism of this book is that I wish it had been longer and had covered some other stories that I find interesting and want to know more about. Hopefully there will be a follow-up to this book which will do that.
Anyway, this is a very good read and worth the $ and time spent reading it.

I love Laurie Jacobson's books and this one is the best yet!!! I love her "juicy little tidbits" about the stars of yesteryear. The stories are very entertaining and I love the fact that she also included recipes to match the stories. A very clever thing to do!!! It's almost like 2 books in one, a gossipy book and a cookbook! I hope she continues to research Hollywood and to write wonderful books about the stars!!!! My only complaint---it's not long enough!!! I am ready for a "Dishing Hollywood II".

I highly recommend Dishing Hollywood The Real Scoop on Tinseltown's Most Notorious Scandals. Laurie Jacobson really knows her stuff and serves up heaping portions of scandal and intrigue of Hollywood's most notorious stars. I have read all of the author's books and Dishing Hollywood is Jacobson at her best. Jacobson brilliantly spins tale after sordid tale, "sprinkles" famous film quotes throughout each chapter and "tops" off with a recipe of the star's favorite dish (or, in some cases, their last meal!). Dishing Hollywood is a tasty treat, and I can't wait for Jacobson's next book!

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 a powerful book. I use it daily as a resource. I recently attended the author's "Start Your Own Part-Time Business" workshop, with the intention of opening my own business. I am now further along that path, and everything we did in the workshop helped me get to where I am now. I keep going back to Karen's book and I use the workshop materials all of the time.

As a man who was recently laid off with the opportunity to change my career , I found Full Time Woman, Part-Time Career to be an extremely valuable resource. I am looking for a more flexible environment where I am not tied to a desk all of the time and, since my wife and I are planning to have children soon, I want be able to spend more time with them. This book gave me many ideas and has given me some direction for my new career.

As a certified life coach, I have have known many women who are looking for flexibility in their lives. This book is a step-by-step guide to becoming self-employed and creating a home-based business using your existing professional skills. I highly recommend this educational book, which explains the qualities necessary to go out on your own. I was especially impressed with the information in the coaching chapter on how to become a coach. Never before have I found a resource like this for women, all in one place.

[...]

Full-Time Woman, Part-Time Career- The Professional Woman's Guide to Building a Flexible Business by Karen Terry, is a descriptively definitive book describing the difficulties in business which a woman may well encounter after having children, and the even greater struggle with finding a career position after rejoining the world of work outside the home. Full-Time Woman, Part-Time Career greatly fortifies the understanding that a woman must have while starting up work again after bearing a child, as well as how to coordinate raising children and running a business with the agility to, in essence, balance and support one-another in unison. A "must read" for the newly mothering parent, Full-Time Woman, Part-Time Career offers a perfect angle from which to approach a perfectly desirable spectra of businesses.

Reviewed by Kornelia Longoria for Reader Views (2/07)

How many of us have wanted to stay at home with our children and bring a steady income at the same time? How many women hate working at their current job and moving nowhere and feeling like a slave to the system? How many women would just want to take their career in their own hands and start a business on their own?

"Full-Time Woman, Part-Time Career" by Karen Steede Terry is a comprehensive guide to starting your own business that is not only successful but most importantly, fits your personality, your lifestyle and your own expectations. The author divides the book into short chapters focusing on the very basis of making it work on your own. From the very beginning of the book, she helps us see what it takes to start your own business and what kind of qualities are essential in doing that. She gives a lot of examples and even samples of conversation starters to promote your business and to get through to a wider range of potential customers. She goes through the most essential subjects, such as the start-up cost, setting up the office, writing business plans and whether you should incorporate or not. She explains it all in a very clear and comprehensive way, making it easier for us to make the right decisions that would benefit us in the best way. The author devotes a big part of the book to advertising your business, getting and maintaining customers and growing your business bigger and more successful. She also expands certain types of businesses, such as professional coaching, freelance writing, teaching software computer classes and public speaking, where the reader can find much more detail and tips for starting one of these businesses. Finally, the end of the book consists of very valuable appendix, where we can find all kinds of addresses and phone numbers to business registration agencies, networking organizations, franchise opportunities etc.

I really liked the fact that the book was addressed directly and solely to women. The author knows exactly what kind of obstacles women encounter in starting their own business and how to work to overcome them. The language is very clear, comprehensive and to the point. "Full-Time Woman, Part-Time Career" is definitely a book to be read if you consider starting your own business.