Open Books

I recommend "Open Your Heart" as a fun and simple read allowing for a range of self-reflection. You can take Ruth Cherry's fable and relate each chapter to yourself in any degree you see, sort of like a daily horoscope reading. Or you can simply just be entertained. It is enjoyable and witty, and with it's slim form, a great book to take on the plane in your carry-on.

When a friend sent me Open Your Heart: A Mid-Life Fable, it was a real gift! This is an extremely insightful, inspirational book about self discovery and acceptance of our true personality, with all its positive and negative angles. It helped me understand some of my reactions, quaint characteristics and antics. It also encouraged me to start my own spiritual journey. Many thanks to Ruth for writing this wonderful book! Gracias!

Ruth Cherry's Open Your Heart: A Mid-life Fable is the fictionalized account of a female baby boomer in mid-life, who must meet the giants and specters of her inner world. They take physical form to guide her with kindness, wisdom, friendly humor. Truly a labor of love, Open Your Heart is a comforting message in the face of uncertain crossroads. Recommended for anyone caught in the throes of a mid-life reexamination of their existence.

When I started reading this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was a wonderful story that I feel all middle age people can identify with. We all seem to have questions as to why we are who we are. This books showed me how to find the answers, by identifying my own inner characters. By identifying each inner character, I was able to see things in myself that I had never seen before. I will now take better care of all parts of my being. This is definetly a must read for all of the baby boomers out there.

Open Your Heart, A Mid-Life Fable, by Dr. Ruth Cherry, touched me deeply. This fine book is an exploration of odd and often perplexing experiences we all face as we come to grips with our middle years. The experiences of the "mid-life crazies" are depicted here metaphorically, with sensitivity, gentleness, and humor.

After reading this book I believe that I understand myself better, and feel that I can and should trust my own feelings more. A very useful and constructive "self-help" book. I give the highest recommendation for this book, especially to anyone over 35 who perhaps wonders, (as don't we all eventually?), What's it really all about?

Opening and reading this book is extremely worthwhile. It is a practical guide showing how to IMPLEMENT the open-book philosophy.

This work provides a new model of business management that bridges the people- versus profit-orientation approaches. Discusses and presents features of ten open-book bonus plans. Some key topics are participation, communication, and empowerment. Filled with lots of detailed information and insights. Reviewed by Gerry Stern, founder, Stern & Associates, author of Stern's Sourcefinder: The Master Directory to HR and Business Management Information & Resources, Stern's CyberSpace SourceFinder, and Stern's Compensation and Benefits SourceFinder.

Great practical information on actual open book practices from several companies.

In his first book on Open-Book Management (OBM), the author builds the case for why a change in management practice is necessary, and why OBM in particular uniquely best addresses the issues needed for successful management today. Once one has read that book and is either interested enough to want to learn more or sold to the point he or she wants to implement it, then this book is the perfect follow-up.

This book focuses on the details, and they say the devil is always in the details. You could say the authors first book dealt more with the "WHY" and this deals more with the "HOW", though there is some crossover. By drawing experiences (both good and bad) from 100 companies, the reader can benefit enormously by not having to deal with as much trial-and-error personally. I highly recommend this book to those who are likely to implement OBM.

One of the best books yet on Open Book Management. Full of practical advice for anyone trying to use Open Book Management in their business. As anyone involved in implementing OBM will tell you, you need all the help you can get. This book has given us a host of new ideas and lots of hands on stuff to help us to make OBM a reality in our business. We hope the next book isn't far away.

I recently re-read Case's Open-Book Management: The Coming Business Revolution (1996) and then this book (1999). Both are even more important now than when originally published. In this volume, Case develops his key ideas in much greater depth while examining more than 100 companies which -- to varying extent -- have implemented open-book principles. Perhaps without intending to, some reviewers have incorrectly suggested that these principles have relevance only to publicly-traded companies. In fact, I think they can also be of substantial value to non-profits as well as to privately-owned companies. Consider the over-used phrase "taking ownership" in the context of assuming responsibility for helping to reduce costs by completing more and better work in less time or in the context of assuming responsibility for making certain that a customer's problem has been solved. Heaven knows, what Case advocates will increase "business literacy" among everyone involved in a given enterprise but it can and should accomplish more, much more.

For example, effective application of open-book principles will create a "transparent" organization. That is, one in which everyone is kept fully informed of what is most important to the success of that enterprise. Such knowledge includes but is by no means is limited to financial information which explains, for example, how much it costs to open the door each business day or how much money is spent on training, overtime, postage, shipping, etc. According to Case, "Really the only way for a company to boost performance consistently over the long terms is to have employees who work enthusiastically and effectively and who take responsibility for their own work. Good systems -- meaning good procedures and equipment -- are indispensable. But what makes the difference in the end is whether the employees doing the job think about doing it just a little bit better and care whether they do or don't." At a time when competition is more ferocious than ever before, "battles" will be won or lost within what Case characterizes as "the human dimension of business -- the wanting, the caring, the enthusiasm, the problem solving and initiative taking." Open-book principles offer a new approach to management, one which starts from scratch with a new set of assumptions "about how people in an organization work together." In this volume, citing countless real-world applications of those principles, Case explains HOW...and, of equal importance, WHY.

If possible, read Open-Book Management first. You may also wish to check out Kaplan and Norton's The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action and then its sequel, The Strategy-Focused Organization: How Balanced Scorecard Companies Thrive in the New Business Environment. Perhaps the Lone Ranger could prevail armed only with a silver bullet but the rest of us need a full arsenal of weapons. Many of them are provided by Case, Kaplan, and Norton.

The back cover of this book has a brief biography of the author, and it seems that the book benefits from his diverse background. His time as a professor shows in his insistence on backing up all his assertions with hard data. His current job as a consulting partner is reflected in the clear, non-academic, and easy-to-follow style and organization of the book. And even though he generally speaks well of the industry, this is no hagiography. A number of illustrative anecdotes (the book is full of these) describe less than exemplary behavior, such as how one Minneapolis money manager ran his funds into the ground speculating on interest rate movements. Anyone interested in learning more about U.S. mutual funds should read this book.

Ever since I began work in the mutual fund industry six years ago, I've looked for books that would increase my understanding of the industry. Many books tell you how to invest in mutual funds and a couple attempt to describe (but in my view unsuccessfully) how the industry works. This week I found and read Gremillion's book on mutual funds. And I was amazed. It's all there. History of the industry, the laws that affect it, how funds are manufactured and distributed, e-business and a lot more. I really enjoyed reading the author's impartial discussion of industry issues like the debate over fees and expenses, active vs. passive management, and the state of the market.

Gremillion's clear and concise writing makes his book an interesting and easy read. Too bad it wasn't available when I was in college.

Must reading to learn the ins and outs of the industry .

This book is written in a clear, non-academic, and easy-to-follow style. And even though he generally speaks well of the industry, the author does not sugar-coat it. A number of illustrative anecdotes (the book is full of these) describe less than exemplary behavior, such as how one Minneapolis money manager ran his funds into the ground speculating on interest rate movements.

The book is full of data as well. For example, the author doesn't just tell about how much a few star portfolio managers get in compensation. When he discusses what investment managers get paid, he includes the results from an industry survey that show averages and ranges for a variety of positions. John Bogle appropriately calls the book "authoritative" in his foreword.

A thoughtful, well-written, unbiased examination of the mutual fund industry, from an insider's perspective. This book is a good investment for anyone with any connection to mutual funds - from studying or working in the industry to being a mutual fund investor. You'll learn more than the industry itself wants you to know about how funds are managed and administered. Mr. Gremillion keeps a potentially dry subject entertaining with interviews and anecdotes, and his "plain-English" writing style makes the book very easy to read - no technical knowledge required!

Karl Popper had one of the broadest ranges of any 20th Century philosopher. He wrote in Epistemology, Philosophy and History of Science, Logic, and Democratic Theory. In each area he wrote trenchantly and with great excellence and imagination. He was the greatest of 20th century philosophers. Why I feel this way can begin to be understood by reading Mark A. Notturno's "Science and the Open Society." Notturno's work is the most valuable gateway to Popper's yet. It is one of those very few books that serve as the core of one's library, that one returns to again and again.

All of the Chapters in "Science and the Open Society" are striking and contain worthwhile insights. As a whole they allow one to think about the corpus of Popper's work and the major themes he developed over the course of 60 years. In fact, Popper himself wrote no single work that would allow us to do that. Notturno, in providing that perspective here, gives us a bird's eye view that we must work much harder to get from Popper's work. If you seek an understanding of Popper, start with Notturno and then read Popper for yourself, with the context you need to actively grasp what Popper presents.

All of the book is valuable, but there are a few Chapters that stand out from my own perspective as a Knowledge Management practitioner. These are Chapter 10 on the choice between Popper and Kuhn, Chapter 7 on the meaning of world 3, Chapter 5, a brilliant account of the breakdown of foundationalism and justificationism and of how Popper's critical rationalism escapes from the problems inherent in these views and provides a basis for solving the problems of induction and demarcation, and Chapter 3 on the significance of critical rationalism for education in open societies. Here is a more detailed review of Chapters 10 and 7.

Chapter 10, "The Choice Between Popper and Kuhn: Truth, Criticism, and the Legacy of Logical Positivism," takes up again the task of proper reconstruction of the nature of science following the breakdown of logical positivism. Notturno shows that Popper and Kuhn took two contrasting roads in journeying from this crossroads of 20th century philosophy. He traces how Kuhn and the many who followed him took the road to relativism, institutionalism, and "political" science, while denying the possibility of external rational critques of governing paradigms. Popper, on the other hand, took the road to thoroughgoing fallibilistic truth-seeking, a path which rejected foundationalism and justificationism, and offered a view of scientific objectivity attained through shared criticism of alternative knowledge claims conjectured as solutions to problems. As Notturno puts it (P. 230): "The issue at base is whether science should be an open or a closed society." Notturno shows that its is Kuhn's choice that leads to the closed society, and Popper's that supports the idea that (P. 248) ". . . our scientific institutions should exist for the sake of the individual - for the sake of our freedom of thought and our right to express it - and not the other way around."

Chapter 7 is a careful account of Popper's controversial notion that there are at least three "worlds" or realms of ontological significance: (1) the material world of tables, atoms, buildings, lamps, etc., (2) the mental world of thoughts, beliefs, emotions, etc. and (3) the "world" of words and language, art, mathematics, music, and other human, non-material, but sharable and autonomous creations. Popper criticized monism, the doctrine that only the physical world exists, and dualism, the idea that there is only mind, matter, and the interaction between them, in favor of a broader interactionism among three realms. This idea has been among the most difficult of notions for people to accept.

To many (including Feyerabend and Lakatos who ridiculed it), it smacks of Platonism, even though Popper clearly distinguished his own world 3 ideas from platonic forms. But Popper's world 3 notions are critical to his ideas about the pursuit of truth, criticism and trial and error as the method of science and problem-solving, the growth of knowledge, and evolutionary epistemology. Popper's world 3 is also critical to knowledge management, because without it we can't sensibly talk about managing the interaction between subjective mental knowledge (world 2) and objective linguistic knowledge (world 3), and, one can argue, it is managing this interaction to enhance the growth of relevant knowledge that is knowledge management's greatest challenge and major preoccupation.

Of all the commentary I have seen on world 3 Chapter 7 is the best at simply stating what Popper meant by it, why the notion is important to critical rationalism and the growth of knowledge, why people have denied its importance, why world 3 is consistent with a thoroughgoing fallibilism, why world 3 is a denial of empiricist epistemology, why the notion of world 3 is not invalidated by the greatly over-rated "Ockham's Razor," why world 3 doesn't violate the principle of causality, and finally why world 3 is important in spite of the view of the Wittgensteinians that solutions to philosophical problems which world 3 is an instance of, are meaningless because such problems are themselves meaningless. And in the process of doing this commentary, Notturno presents and analyzes for us a wonderful story of an encounter between Popper and Wittgenstein (mediated by Bertrand Russell) at Cambridge on October 26, 1946, which in microcosm, illustrates the conflict between reason and authority, and the open society and the closed society. It was an encounter in which the master of the cold stare, the mystique of genius, and the pithy aphorism, found himself so frustrated by the master of critque and dialogue that he left the field of open debate in anger and disgust.

There are many excellent critiques of contemporary discourse, but few disclose the problem in its broader range. Of those that do, fewer still identify principles by which we could extricate ourselves. Popper would seem an unlikely starting point. In the opinion of many, Popper had his day along with the authoritarianism he opposed. Indeed, the main impetus for revival of Popper's open society concept has been George Soros's effort to help polities in the former Soviet block rid themselves of the vestiges of communism. What worries Soros is that former Soviet citizens will retain a utopian thought structure and simply plug in different parts, notably markets and democracy. Visiting Americans don't always help. Russians who receive lectures from Americans complain of condescension, but it is often worse than that -- the lecturers don't understand the underpinnings of the institutions they recommend. The lecturer may assume that markets and democracy will, by themselves and of necessity, create a non-authoritarian social field. They don't. It is one of Notturno's aims to explain this disturbing possibility that many Western elites fail to grasp.

The author has applied remarkable energy to running open society seminars through the post-Soviet world. Some of the chapters of the book are based on these seminars, and the talks are honed through frequent delivery before groups that are receptive yet skeptical. It would be a terrible mistake to assume that the presence of this audience means that the book is not relevant to the American experience. Notturno understands that Popper's intention was to promote openness in all modern societies, not just Communist ones, and he has admirably brought Popper's program up to date. He efficiently critiques the primacy given to consensus in science. He also addresses dangers outside the scientific institution proper by taking on tolerance, relativism, therapy, and bureaucracy.

In several cases his starting point is biographical, and he offers some revealing letters and contemporary accounts that most of us will not be familiar with. These materials give his philosophical arguments freshness and motivation not often found in academic works. Wittgenstein, Carnap, Freud, Bohr, Kuhn, and several other heroes are indicted for various offenses against open science. Popper isn't spared either, though he certainly comes out ahead on crucial matters.

The best feature of the book is that the reader has a sense of where to begin and what to do. I found myself wanting to stand up, ask a question, and engage somebody in authentic discussion. You are propelled forward toward problems, in your own voice, not backward toward anything that Popper might have said. I can image that this would be a very useful book in almost any public affairs course that reflects on ground rules for debate and investigation. Better yet, the book can help adult learners free themselves from the stifling rhetoric of ideologists.

I was curious and asked Notturno where his program is headed. I was pleased to find that he has plans for workshops, international academic contacts, dissertation support, and other collaborations that offer practical results, or at least a fuller sense of what rational discussion entails. I recommend that you get in touch with him, especially if you have ideas on how to institutionalize these activities. ......................

Disputing disputation. I accept what Notturno extracts from Popper as good logic, but I wonder whether something more needs to be said about the social side of argument. Popper was relentless in finding the contradictions in others. Students who tried to fend him off using self-protective rhetoric often felt ridiculed when his persistent questions eventually forced them to admit their errors. But it is probably the case that students who adhered to good logic were also humiliated. The assumption behind such intellectual conflict is that contradictions are not voluntarily displayed. More generally, one defends tidy statements that brook no problem. Is that the kind of statement we must have at the ready before speaking to each other, and is that process ideal?

I wonder about such things, and suffer for it. Last week, I drafted a report and offered examples of how software could be used. I mentioned an operation that would be useful to execute in the software, but cautioned that the operation might be too difficult to implement. I figured that it would be useful to retain the idea as a possibility rather than to discard it. The project manager, adhering to conventional practice, did not want this or any problem mentioned in our report, and the idea was discarded. The motivation, I suppose, is to give the client nothing that can be questioned, nothing incomplete. Is that good?

The same sort of thing happens when writing definitions. The definition and examples stay well within what is safe to say, and no guidance is offered that would help decide hard cases, which is exactly when definitions are needed.

We challenge each other to find weaknesses that we are reluctant to disclose and may actually be hiding. It is a cat and mouse game, not a mutual exploration with a common object. To explore together would require a kind of trust between partners that doesn't often exist. One approach to building that trust is to create a space for imaginative thought in which a different set of rules is enforced.

DeBono has argued well for a separate imaginative effort prior the critical effort, symbolized as green hat versus black hat thinking. But consider how things actually play out in an organization that sequesters thinking in this way. 3M requires that people work on secret projects for a significant percentage of their time, and they are expected to bring a project forward when it is ready to be criticized. Whenever anything is brought before an "outsider", the presumption is that it is offered as something to be attacked. There is no possibility of wider collaboration beyond a secret cell of partners.

To put it bluntly, I'm wondering whether loose thinking should be an element of openness. The idea is not to avoid critical thinking, but to neither elevate nor extend it to the point that it suppresses options, rewards timidity, and encourages unproductive conflict. [1] In both science and business, new approaches that eventually prove to be better usually perform poorly at the beginning. An idea gains a following on an intuitive, theoretical, or emotional basis before it reaches final form. [2] Without these non-rational appeals, which are very similar to the "communal" appeals that Notturno counts as a danger, the innovation pipeline could dry up. [3] Notturno says that false theories are a dime a dozen, which is true, but new theories are in the same stack.

An open attitude, I feel, is something different from the critical attitude that is admittedly necessary to sustain both open science and an open society. An open attitude can tolerate indecision, incompleteness, and even contradiction. (Someone said that the test of a good mind is that it can hold contradictory thoughts simultaneously.) [4] The open attitude moves toward clarity, but not prematurely and not toward complete closure. That may be too much forbearance to ask for some, and offer too easy a ride for others. Yet, in our atmosphere of both heavy criticism and a communal science that avoids criticism, we tend to confine ourselves to safe science. Those who can't stand this situation may exile themselves, or claim outlandish revolutions, neither of which gains any traction. .................................

I'm not sure if this book is out of print -save for the hardcover - or just unavailable but it is well worth getting (even supposing you have to go elsewhere).

Why? First off, anyone who's read Karl Popper knows that he was a phenomenal writer who could pack much content into any one sentence. Mark Notturno is not only that good, dare I say it, he may be better at it than Popper?! Whereas Popper's terseness occasionally led him to vagueries, Notturno is always crisp.

Second, books on Popper tend to rehash his views (which the authors either understand or not - 50/50). Notturno extends Popper's thought. Never quite disagreeing with any of it, Notturno does find fault with a few of Poppers vagueries and corrects them. The essay herein - "induction and demarcation" is notable as it focuses on Poppers tendency to mislead on certain views he held. The distinction between falsification and falsifiability, the problem not being of induction altogether but the fact that bad inductive conclusions, unlike deduction, will not point to a false premise, and from it the fact that Popper did not quite believe all induction to be invalid.

Some other good essays to note (in addition to the ones listed two reviews below) are "education and the open society" which is a good essay on why current education methods might fail (his similarity to John Dewey in this, and other, regards always amazes me). Also 'inference and deference' is a great article exposing the failure of logic to justify, contra popular philosophic practice, deference to authority. Not barring it outright, Notturno highlights two errors of thought that lead us to defer abdicatingly to authority: defensive thinking and poitical thinking. If there was an essay focusing solely on these two concepts (this one only devotes a few paragraphs) then I would've had to give the book seven stars. Also worthy of mention is the afterword "what is to be done" about post-communism and how a proper trainsitiion to a truly open-society can take place. In short, very good book. If you are a Popper fan and are tired of reading secondary books that only rehash, never expand, this is the best book I can think of.

Wow! Easily one of the best reads I've had in years. Not only is it an insightful source of understanding for those interested in Karl Popper's philosophy, but Notturno, himself, emerges as a powerful player in the field of critical reasoning and the politics of knowledge. A devastatingly effective thinker and writer in his own right. It will change your view of the world and the role of reasoning and politics in the conduct of human affairs. Awesome!

For about thirty years I have been a fan of Karl Popper's writings. This recent book on Popper's philosophy (of science and of politics) is most excellent. It presents Popper's ideas more clearly than Popper himself, in my opinion. So readers can get a quick taste of this work I refer them to two pages: On p88 Notturno argues that "institutiomalism and inductivism are more closely related than one might think." Inductive conclusions do not follow from their premises. Group solidarity is used to close the gap. On p142 Notturno clarifies: Popper posited World 1 as the world of physical objects, World 2 as the world of thoughts (feelings and imagination), and World 3 as the world of imaginative artifacts (songs, theorems, laws, etc.). The creative act corresponds to taking an insight from World 2 into World 3, from where it can be shared (I have a theorem in mathematical physics named for me internationally so I know this process first hand.). IT'S A FINE READ!

Reading Dan McQuillan's Scotland Guide is truely a journey in itself. Unlike many guides, this book is both enjoyable to read and an excellent source of information. I felt like I was getting the scoop from a local. Anecdotes and first hand experiences are relayed with refreshing wit. He makes the history, people, and places of Scotland come alive.

When I first started reading this guide, I thought to myself, "This is a Let's Go guide for those whose purses have grown." This book is for you if you are looking for one guide that focuses on the best restaurants and lodging, and covers even the less populated areas of Scotland. The restaurant reviews are more thorough than any I've seen. The coverage of history and sights is better than the budget-conscious guides, but less thorough than a Blue Guide. Also, this guide has one feature that I haven't found in any other Scotland guides - top lists of sights you shouldn't miss in each area. These are VERY helpful and influenced a few of my choices.

As far as style goes, this guide is truly inviting. The commentary is interesting and casual, almost as if you were reading a friend's thoughts. The print is also larger than other guides.

If you haven't spent a lot of time planning and researching your trip, this guide will meet your needs by offering a wide array of information and doing it in a readable style. Its greatest strength is in the lodging and restaurant recommendations. If you plan your lodging online, do research online, and go to grocery stores instead of restaurants (as I do), you might find that this guide is not the best one for you. But for those who like to pick up a guide and go, this one is an excellent choice.

Well, what can I say? I'm always a little wary of non-native folk writing about the countries they visit, I've always found their comments somewhat naive- however this book is quite different. Being Scottish myself, I was somewhat wary of buying this book, but I was genuinely surprised and pleased by its contents. A truly comprehensive guide which both informed and amused myself and my companions throughout our journey this summer all around Scotland. I particularly found the recommendations of places to stay super- reliable and honest, which is always useful when travelling. A truly excellent guide which no traveller in Scotland should be without.

If you are looking for a travel book that is accurate about the country before your trip and after your trip this is the one you want. I resourced several different books before my trip and Dan Mc Quillan's was by far, the best. His information on the numerous lodging options, resturaunts and sights was extemely helpful in our planning, but the best part is the personal touch you feel in reading the book and the information it contains. The other aspect that sets this Scotland travel book apart from the others out there is that at the back of the book the author invites the reader to e-mail or regular mail him any questions or other thoughts you might have. Well I did and after numerous e-mails Mr. McQuillen basically helped us plan our entire itinerary. He personally addressed many details and was very timely, generous and thorough in his responses. That alone is worth the price of the book. Whatever country we travel to next, I will certainly be looking for a travel book from Dan McQuillan to guide us.

After reading through almost all the available guides to England and Scotland, I chose to bring this one with me to Scotland because it was the best overall. Fodors is not bad, but it's just not organized as well as this one is. It lists more places to stay, but what I liked about this book is that he focuses on a few places that are superb. I'm also a fan of the insight guides, but I didn't see one for Scotland on the day I spent looking for books at a bookstore. We stayed at his most highly recommended B and B's and every single recommendation was on the mark. We even showed his descriptions to the proprietors of the B and B's who were impressed. This is the only book I found that really goes in depth in three areas that really matter: where to stay, what to see and what to eat. The introductory sections on history and background were very well done and should provide any traveller with the basic information to enjoy Scotland. In the book, the author devotes his two longest chapters to Edinborough and Glascow, but unlike other guides, he does an excellent job on the highlands (the northern ones) and the Grampian highlands. Since we spent most of our time in those two areas, I can say that he was very on target as far as what is worth seeing, how to get there, and how to plan your time. My cover looks different from the one pictured above: it's blue and has "Open Road Guide" on the top. I hope I'm referring to the same book -- the publication date is the same. If you are planning to go to Scotland and see some truly rugged and inspiring places, this book will help you appreciate the beauty of this rugged country. It avoids the temptation to cover too much information. It's just right in terms of providing detailed descriptions, particularly of the guest houses and the country side.

I am a brain injury survivor so it's great to read a book from the survivor's point of view. This book had a lot of legal issues, but it was well written and very honest.

An extraordinary story of an extraordinary woman. This book is about Ms. Cynthia Paddock Doroghazi personal journey of a "miracle" recovery from a coma, due to brain injury; only to transit to a vegetative state. After two years of intense therapy Cynthia recovered to a fully functional person and returned to school to finally complete her master's degree at SAS.
This book is a must read for anyone interested in brain injury recovery; a truly inspiring book.

Searching for the Open Door is the author's inspirational story of how she survived TBI and conquered her own disability. The book is also a must read for anyone who wants to understand health care system and how hospital negligence can result in serious patient injury. Buy this book.

This is an inspiring story about not giving up when all seems lost as well as a lesson on the realities of the health care industry. The medical industry has great powers to save and improve our quality of life when we get sick but the process is full of pitfalls that we can end up in when sloppiness and unaccountability linger in the system. This is a must read for anyone that is going to have a serious medical operation or is trying to cope with a situation created by a tragedy during a medical procedure.

There are many lessons packed into this short story. The author's last chapter, which describes the development of her personal religious beliefs is an added plus, which you can accept or reject without losing the important lessons the book has to offer.

Rosemary Wescott

Ms. Doroghazi's book is outstanding. When she tells her story in person, one gets the sense that here is a strong and savvy individual who survived a difficult experience. However, to read her story in its entirety, as presented in this book, conveys how truly extraordinary her life has been. Written from the hand of the person who lived to tell it, this story is deeply personal - it draws the reader into her world with emotional clarity unmatched in fiction and in all but a few other true life stories. This book can give hope to people facing their own ordeals, as well as insight to those who have no appreciation for how life can change in an instant.

THIS IS THE STORY OF RYNE SANDBERG FORMER CUBS GREAT. RYNO DOES A GREAT JOB TELLING HIS STORY, HIGHLIGHTED WITH THE REASON HE RETIRED EARLY. WHEN THE TRIBUNE DECIDED TO PUT AN IDIOT LIKE LARRY HIMES IN CHARGE, RYNO HAD ENOUGH OF THE EGO, CHEAPNESS AND HORRENDOUS MISTAKES HIMES MADE WITH THR CUBS. RYNO WAS TRULY ONE OF THE BEST 2ND BASEMAN OF ALL TIME. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS AND RECOMMEND IT FOR ALL CUBS FANS.

Sandberg does a great job of telling his side of the story of the Cubs downfall. In 1988 the cubs were a force to be reckoned with and just a few short years later they were in shambles. This account of Larry Himes ruining the Cubs is very true. A terrific read. WE MISS YOU RYNO!!!!

Sandberg does a great job of telling his side of the story of the Cubs downfall. In 1988 the cubs were a force to be reckoned with and just a few short years later they were in shambles. This account of Larry Himes ruining the Cubs is very true. A terrific read. WE MISS YOU RYNO!!!!

This bio gets right down to the heart of the person and what he had to go through. Ryno was an incredable H.S athlete. I liked the fact that he revealed the reason(s) why he retired. The only thing wrong with the book is the fact that a short time after its relese, he came back, leaving the book with an open ending so to speak.

terrific account of his playing days. In his heydey, Ryno! was the smoothest fielding, power-hitting, speed-demon ballplayer A-Rod dreams he could become. No question, Ryno was the best ever. Now, read about what inspired him and how he went from a throw-in in the DeJesus-Bowa deal to MVP, HR Champ, and god of all infielders. When Joe Morgan rants about how good we was, I think he thinks we was Ryno!

just wanted to say I loved Ms. King's book, " she's got next." it was refreshing to read about basketball written from her perspective. like ms. king, i grew up down south, which is sports-mad; but my alma mater was more of a football school. that is not to say my school's basketball team didn't have its moments; they made the final four a couple of times, plus they had shaq and chris jackson, so they did ok. some of the scenes which ms. king writes about basketball being played on the playgrounds of chicago and l.a. made me misty-eyed, they were so nostalgic. ms. king's self-depricating humor made her story more accessible and fun.plus the scenes which she coaches a youth team were also fun to read about. the urban flava comes through the prose easily. it's as if dorothy parker wrote a basketball book and tricked it out with some hip-hop beats...

This is a funny and inciteful book that looks into the life of a young lady as she moves from rural Arkansas to Chicago. Following a course that a lot of us have had to take she was lonely, bored, and generally unhappy. Eventually she remembered how much she had enjoyed playing basketball and turned to playing as a way to pass the time, meet people, develop a life.

Basketball was her thing, never with a thought of turning pro or anything like that (she admits to not being very good), but just finding a place to be.

That sounds kind of dull, but it's a story of finding oneself, of growing up. And through basketball she is able to discover things about the issues of race, class, gender, religion, sexual politics and love.

Hers was a trip that I had to take long before she was born. I can only wish that I'd had the literary skill to record it as well as she does. This is a delightful book.

I love this book! An industry friend loaned me his advance copy. I took it home and read it in one sitting. I plan on buying several copies to give to friends as beach reads for the summer and a copy for my daughter--this is not a kid's book, but King's life is an example of independence, the importance of taking risks and making hard choices, and balancing working hard with patience and fun.

King's voice is utterly appealing as well as fresh and unique. I've never read a book quite like this. Not just a memoir, almost a novel in it's narrative coherence and construction, not a self-help book yet relentlessly thoughtful, laugh out loud funny one moment and heartbreaking the next.

You'll root for King, want to be friends with her, rush through to find out what happens to her next. As another reviewer wrote, you don't need to know (or care, really) about basketball to enjoy this book. It's not chick-lit and men will enjoy it as much as women for the humor, the sports, and the lovely and brilliant author/protagonist. If you like southern literature, King's voice will fit right into the tradition for you, but the book takes place not only in the south, but in Chicago and LA as well, so city slickers will recognize their neighborhoods and neighbors and likely get a new perspective on city life.

A recent review in a newspaper compared King to Walker Percy and I hear the book will be featured in "Entertainment Weekly" magazine this summer. This book could get big, so enjoy the pleasure of reading it while it's still under the radar. Published in paperback, it's low price and great cover seem to match perfectly the plain spoken yet utterly lovely book inside.

Don't miss this one. There's not another book out there like this. A true original.

and, boy, I'm glad I was. My grown son brought this to me thinking I would love it because he's played basketball all his life and I've played with him and coached when he was younger. This a great story about the way sports can effect a life. If you've ever known the pleasure of casual play (of any game, not just basketball and not just sports) you'll find this familiar, fun, and inspiring. I'm going to hit the local Y today and shoot around and try test my powers of observation against King's amazing ability and I can't wait to talk to strangers and strange people again as we work towards a common goal (across race, class, gender, and, at times, skill), an experience I've not had in years and now hope to make part of my retirement. Be forewarned there is some explicit language, but nothing shocking or gratuitous--the author is clearly a master of the language and using just the right words at just the right moment. What gifts some of us get! To have her basketball skills and writing abilitiy. . .this writer has been blessed.

After reading this book, I have no doubt King's star is rising. Don't worry, you need know nothing of basketball to appreciate this honest examination of an individual life and the complicated interactions of humans. A joyful and hillarious read, King also examines our shortcomings and most desperate needs. The work of a philosopher, comedian, and athelete, you can't go wrong with this lovely memoir. Fans of David Sedaris and Anne Lamott will be especially pleased.

Lynley Dodd's mischievous feline is back... This time, Slinky learns how to master the doorknob... One of the great developmental milestones in any kitty's life! His partner in mischief is a parrot named Stickybeak Syd, who helps Slinky topple furniture, unravel scarves, tip over vases and generally wreak havoc. And the big twist at the end? The humans *don't* come back and put an end to the hijinks! Once again, Dodd crafts a nice, fun book, with a rollicking plot and an effective rhyme scheme... If your kid values meyhem, this is definitely worth checking out!

Having lived with and loved cats, this was for me a delightfully familiar story of the playful mischief cats get into, with a fun twist at the end. I've enjoyed many of Lynley Dodd's books, especially this one and "Hairy Maclary Scattercat". My 5- and 3- year old girls have really enjoyed these.

This book is adorable. The rhyming text is fun to read aloud and the illustrations are hilarious. My 5 year old son LOVES Slinky Malinki and all the other Hairy MacLairy characters. It helps to have read "Hairy MacLairy From Donaldson's Dairy" in order to get the most out of the wonderful last page. LOVE the noses! :-)

Slinky Malinki, the cat reformed from the ways of night burglaring, is back and joined by a parrot named Stickybeak Syd. Together the two of them begin to raise a ruckus as they work their way through the house room by room. It is up to the black cat to jump and open each door. Then, togther, cat and bird play and make a shambles of what they find. But with the last door there is a sound on the other side. What can it be? The curious cat has to find out so taking a jump the door is opened.

Another wonderful story from the creator of Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy. Once again the author combines lyrical rhymes with repeated actions to create a fun-filled tale. Like with RUMPUS AT THE VET, this one has an open ending that readers can fill in with their own imagination. Fans of the author's books will appreciate and recognize the cameos that occur. All in all a fine addition to any children's collection. Check out Lynley Dodd's other wonderful books and see why she is often referred to as the Dr. Seuss of New Zealand.

Linley Dodd is a wonderful children's author and illustrator. This book is her best by far. Her characters are memorable and she doesn't dumb-down language. Children will learn vocabulary from her books-- bonus.
My sons (4 & 2) have enjoyed this book for years now. My 2 year old can't quite pronounce the title, but we know when he says "i-i-nky ma-inky" that he wants us to read it to him-- over and over! The mischief Slinky Malinki and Stickybeak Sid get into is just hilarious, going room to room wreaking havoc. The surprise at the end is just as fun! The rhythm and rhyme in this book is first rate, helping keep little ones interested.
Highly recommended for 18 months up.

This book really delivers on the mysterious and wonderful character Jango Fett. He is a legendary Mandalorian warrior who witnessed his whole mercenary army being wiped out by the Jedi. Beautiful illistrations. The best illustrator who could draw "Mandalorian armor" to date. A great story line, and really stresses the fact that Jango is a neutral, fearless warrior.

I do know what to say about the art work. I own every Darkhorse TPB comic and this one has the best inks and coloring of them all, getting a 6 on a 5 scale. The drawing itself is a 4 on a 5 scale, and the story is also a 4.

the story missed some oportunity here, but it does address what you are probably curious about with regard to jango.

Darkhorse be warned, I'll expect this kind of quality in the future. I have suffered through lazy editioning from you guys, most disappointingly in UNION and others.

I've read most of the Star Wars comics, and this one is among the best. Open Seasons interweaves the story of Jaster and Concord Dawn (known to Fett fans) with the events prior to Geonosis.

The story is very involving, although I wish it had been longer. A few things were glossed over pretty quickly. But it was a refreshing change from Kevin Anderson's usual soulless SW tales. I had a few "goose-bump" moments.

What can I say about the art? Like Jedi vs. Sith, some will think that it is too cartoony. I disagree. The artist captured action and emotion, and that's what this is about...telling a story through art. Personally, I adored it. I hope Dark Horse uses this guy, and fires the Sith Empire folks. Kudos also for the colors. (The lightsabers really seemed to glow!)

All in all Open Seasons is gorgeous. Buy it.

Possibly one of the best graphic novels I've ever read. Shows the story of how Jango's family is killed and how he joined the Mandalorians. Excellent story (but it felt a little short) that explains alot about why Jango is who he is. Great pictures, dialogue, everything. A great read for Fett fans.

Open Seasons is one of those comics that is highly recommended reading. This is where you'll find Jango Fett's backstory, which seamlessly ties into what little is known of his cloned son Boba Fett, and his Jaster Mereel alto ego. The comic derives its name from the four issues subtitled after the four seasons of winter, spring, summer, fall, and provides reason for Montross's animosity in the Bounty Hunter console game.

The artwork here is just superb. Colours shine off the page, illustrations are depthful, more 3Dish than the standard fare you get, what more could you want? I strongly believe that comics, being the visual material they are, must have the best artwork possible, to show what a standard novel can only express in words. If that's the case, Open Seasons is gold.

The dialogue is up to par. Could have benefited with more humour, but the cast worked well for given characters. Then again, given the nature of the plot, too much would have detracted from the persona of Jango Fett.

The storyline is your typical coming of age: peaceful youth avenging the death of parents and a shattered childhood, forged into one of the galaxy's finest bounty hunters. The setting is soon after Phantom Menace, Dooku recounting to his master Sidious why Fett makes the ideal prime clone for their clandestine operations. It even provides some explanation for why Dooku himself--if you can believe the old man--broke from the Jedi Order.

You see what Jango is made of here in the Galidraan debacle, where the Jedi and Mandalorians have it out. You'd get the impression the Jedi really are dependant on their saber sticks to be dangerous, as though that made any difference to the Fett. Does leaving you wondering in AOTC if script limitations hadn't necessitated Mace Windu to survive Fett.

Just a few trivialties here. Jango looks more lighter complexioned than he did on the screen. Without enough names in dialogue, it does make it challenging to identify your Mandalorian in near-identical uniforms. Most annoying, why do these people always have to be farmboys (Luke, Baron Fel, Jango, etc)? And the biggest one of all: at the end, when Jango flies across space to crash through a ship's bridge viewports, in a vacuum without breathing or decompression?!

Overall, with art quality and storyline this good, Open Seasons is one fine gift to get, and definitely worth getting.