Teams Books

The 1972 United States Olympic Hockey Team skated to an improbable silver medal in Sapporo, Japan. Besides the accolades from friends and family members - and a telegram from President Richard Nixon - the team returned to chase dreams on and off the ice, with their story soon forgotten.

But that moment in time was a triumph of hard work and planning, a real symbol of the American Dream: a head coach making revolutionary changes in practice and game strategy; players from the battlefield of Viet Nam and the workday world, to those chasing dreams on rinks large & small throughout North America, along with a glimpse into the future through pair of teenagers - one, a phenomenal athlete from the East Coast, the other, with the blood of hockey royalty flowing through his veins.

Authors Tom and Jerry Caraccioli balance their research and interviews with game summaries to bring this special era to life, as the political Cold War was a backdrop, with friendships forged through that ice.

A touching final chapter chronicles a very special moment for head coach Murray Williamson; a January 2002 note which brought a fitting coda to the tireless work that his players never forgot.

And with this book, the team that set the stage for the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" receives a long overdue spotlight, all for themselves.

The premise of the book is that not many people are aware of our country's on-ice success in the 1972 Olympics. Let's see, I grew up in Edina, Minnesota which means:
* I graduated from HS one year after Dean Williamson, son of Murray
* I have caddied for Walter Bush, a long-time USA Hockey official
* A friend played on a Bantam team coached by Craig Sarner, an effective forward on this silver medal squad
* I've heard many tales about Bruce McIntosh starring for my HS and later the University of Minnesota

AND....

I'D NEVER HEARD THIS STORY BEFORE. Granted I hadn't yet turned 4 when they played in Sapporo, but it isn't like this was a mystery. I read about the 1960 Olympics when I was about 10 and obviously remember where I was in 1980 (Fergus Falls, playing in a Pee Wee tournament). Why no talk about 1972?

Not only do the Caraccioli brothers do a good job of relaying the story, they also do a good job of addressing that very question.

Worth a read. You'll breeze through it quickly as it is pretty direct on covering the story without straying from topic. Even though you now how it ends - they win the silver - it is hard to put down.

People who have an interest in the US amateur ice hockey program will want to read this book in order to fill gaps in what has become the accepted story of the team before victory in the Lake Placid games(1980). The authors, with the unlikely names of Tom and Jerry, do a good job prsenting their case that the tools used to win an Olympic gold metal were forged by an earlier team and passed on to those who followed. Anyone interested in the deveopment of North American hockey will learn from this tale.

This is a must-read for sports fans. The brothers/authors have written a thoroughly entertaining account of a wonderful moment in U.S. international sports history. Readers will remember this book forever. Bravo!

Hockey fans will find riveting Tom Caraccioli & Jerry Caraccioli's STRIKING SILVER: THE UNTOLD STORY OF AMERICA'S FORGOTTEN HOCKEY TEAM. While many think of American hockey as starting in the 1980s; in a reality in 1972 the achievements of a young team which represented the U.S. in Asia in the Olympics went largely unrecognized during the tumult of Vietnam politics. It's time their story was told, and STRIKING SILVER achieves this, revealing the team, its major players, and the events that made them outstanding, though under-reported. Quotes from players and observers and source materials recreate the times in an involving survey.

This is a magnificent work, weaving the history of the Phillies and A's through the socioeconomic changes in Philadelphia during the tenure of Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium. Although I am not a Phila. native nor am I a Phillies fan, I found this work fascinating, and could not put it down! An absolute must for any library of information about historic stadiums - WELL WORTH THE MONEY AND TIME!

The author did an outstanding job in writing this book. I've visited Philly several times on business. The nature of my business took me to the distressed areas of North & West Philadelphia. I visited 21st & Lehigh where Shibe Park formerly took & now has the church covering part of the grounds. I only wished that I could have seen the park during its existence. I had the opportunity visiting Philly on a weekend pass when some Army buddies back in 1968, but unfortunately we didn't think about attending a ballgame at Connie Mack Stadium. My loss.

If your a native Philadelphian, Phillies, or a baseball fan you must read this book. It talks about not only the A's, but the Phillies, and even the Eagles and their ownerss. It talks extensively about the immediate neighborhood, North Philly, and the problems that both Connie Mack & the Carpenters faced owning the stadium. I didn't think the book would be as near as enjoyable as it proved to be. The Amazon reader's star ratings are usually grossly over graded, but not in this instance.

The best baseball books earn their sentiment. Bruce Kulkick's book does just that. It is a grown-up story written with passion and anger and affection. The author knows the game, knows that IT IS a game and does a balancing act that should satisfy fans of Big League ball, 20th century American history, and any city planning student around. Baseball is said to be a perfect game in its dimensions; if the distance between bases were any shorter, far too many hits would be produced, if the distance were longer, nobody would ever get aboard. Kuklick is a writer who carries off the same tricky balance. Elegaic and important.

THIS BOOK GIVES A VERY NOSTALGIC AND DETAILED LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF SHIBE PARK AND THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD. MUCH DETAIL AND DRAMA IS GIVEN TO THE EVENTS THAT GRACED THIS GREAT PARK. ALSO COVERED IN DETAIL ARE THE SHORT STAY OF THE EAGLES, THE RIVALTY OF THE A'S AND PHILLIES. THE BUNGLING AND MISMANEGMENT OF THE MACK FAMILY AND OF THE CARPENTERS IS ALSO VERY WELL DOCUMENTED AND WELL DESCRIBED. THE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM SURROUNDING THE JOUNEY TO AND FROM SHIBE PARK AND THE DETERIORATING NEIGHBORHOOD ARE ALSO A VERY WELL COVERED PART OF THIS MUST READ NOVEL. I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK. I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO PHILADELPHIA, BUT THE AUTHOR MAKES THIS HISTORIC PARK INTO A STAPLE IN BASEBALL HISTORY. VERY RECOMMENDED.

University of Pennsylvania historian Bruce Kuklick has written with "To Every Thing a Season" a masterful analysis of the role of the relationship of Major League Baseball (MLB) to the city of Philadelphia and its culture in the twentieth century. He takes as his nexus one of the most significant of the concrete-and-steel stadiums built by various teams in the first part of the century, Shibe Park, home to both the National League Phillies and the American League Athletics--A's for short--for much of its history. Shibe Park, built by Connie Mack and others for $301,000, opened its doors in 1909. It was the home of the Athletics until they departed the city for Kansas City in 1954 and the Phillies between 1938 and 1970 when they moved to Veteran's Stadium.

This is sophisticated history, not the once-over-lightly narratives of many baseball histories. Kuklick emphasizes the interrelations of the A's, the Phillies, and the residents of Philadelphia with Shibe Park as the point of convergence. Connie Mack, the owner of the A's, provides the human face of much of the description in the book and his successes and numerous failings on and off the field give "To Every Thing a Seasons" much of its dramatic power. Mack built two great baseball powerhouses with the A's, the first time in the years surrounding 1910 and again in the years around 1930. In both cases he dismantled those teams and sold the players to other Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises. The Phillies had far fewer good years than the A's, but did manage to win a National League pennant in 1950, and came close in 1964 when a late season collapse allowed the St. Louis Cardinals to take the pennant.

Kuklick does not recite too much of the on-field activities of the Phillies and A's, but instead focuses on the role of Shibe Park, and by extension its occupants, in the life of the Philadelphia. As such "To Every Thing a Season" is quite excellent urban history, and at some level also business and economic and social history, rather than sports or baseball history. Kuklick is correct to conclude, and this very fine book emphasizes it: "Part of the story of Shibe Park is one of proprietorial rapacity, cynicism, and the limitations of even admirable people in an industrial society" (p. 190). Kuklick's epilogue is a superb contemplation of the social function of MLB teams and their home cities, using Philadelphia as a model. It helped generate a shared identity and taught camaraderie and patience and acceptance of the world and its fortunes. In the end, Shibe Park served as a collector of memories for the city, of both good and bad events. It became, over time, the city's equivalent of the family kitchen table.

There is no question but that any reader will learn quite a lot from this book, and I recommend it as the starting point for serious investigation of MLB and its relation to the homes of its various franchises.

The 1998 Yankees championship team, which has to be seen as one of the greatest teams of all time, produced two quick paperback books by NY sportswriters after the season was over. This one, by NY Post beat reporter George King, is the superior one and the one to read if one wants to re-experience the 98 season with the freshness of how perceptions were at the time. I've gone back to it many times in the years since, and those who want to write an account of the 98 Yankees from a distance in years to come will have to utilize this book for needed reference purposes.

It makes you re-live, one-by-one, all those magical moments from the best baseball team ever (125-50).

I am not an avid reader but i read this book for school. I love the yankees and i loved this book. It was very fast reading and i would recomend it to everyone. Yankees Rule!

George King has captured the true essence of this great team. Without ever having managed,coached or signaled one player within the lines, Yankee fanatics everywhere can sense that King communicates the day to day heartbeat of this great team.

Let me just say that I picked it up and it was awsome! I didn't put it down, and know, a year after it happened, it still remains one book that I will re-read untile I basiclly knew it from memory!

It's a nice book, well written and with a nice alternating between anedocts and game recaps with box scores and precise recollection of the Mets most important games over their history. I wish the author had expanded a bit more the final part of the book dedicated to players profiles. But overall it's a nice reading for baseball fans interested in the recent history of the game, not only Mets fans

I loved this book. If you are a baseball fan, half the fun is reliving great moments. Blatt puts you back on the field only the way a seasoned sportswriter can. There is also plenty of stuff from off the field. I love baseball and this book does it for me. Even after reading it, it's a book you can pick up and enjoy all over again. Buy it.

I just finished reading Howard Blatt's book, Amazin' Met Memories. I really enjoyed the trip down memory lane with the Mets. This book had terrific accounts of over 40 of the greatest games in Met history. My whole family have been fans of The NY Mets for many years. Since we don't live in New York anymore we can't attend the games, but this book made me feel that I was sitting on the third base line at Shea. I will keep this book in the company of every Met yearbook I own, since '62. Mr. Blatt, keep the Met books coming!!!

After realizing that Howard Blatt couldn't possibly have spent 40 years in the Mets' lockerroom, I became aware of the fact that his amazin' book only makes it seem so, and that he has astounding knowledge of both the Mets and baseball in general.
This is an enjoyable and fascinating chronicle of 40 sometimes great, often frustrating years.
Perhaps my biggest kick, however, came from Bud Harrelson's wonderful and honest introduction. It alone makes the book a great buy, and brought back for this original Met fan many fond memories of the '69 Miracle Mets.

Might this be the best Mets book -- ever? I'm old enough to recall the Mets first win in 1962, and here's that game again, one of dozens of games -- from the good years and the wishful -- with dozens of box scores (box scores! Why don't baseball books have more box scores like Blatt gives us?) and excellent game stories, with the best quotes, scene-setting and analysis you could want. I just pick this book up, read any game at random and next thing I know I'm reading three games, four, and the writing of each game-story is so crisp, evocative, witty and intelligent that nothing about it tires. It's like sitting next to a great afficianado who's seen it all and makes you feel as if you're seeing it fresh in the thrill of the original nights and afternoons. Like a time machine, you're placed in the game's seasonal situation, the immediate dugout calculations, and the cultural implications for the Blue and Orange. And then there are the chapters on best/worst trades, best players (complete with stats and rain-delay musings) and like the song says, "I don't care if I ever get back." And the topper is that he even includes "bonus" games, plucking the extraordinary from the ordinary (if there is such a thing as ordinary in baseball). Any old book can give you the World Series games but Blatt gives you it all, from the Aprils to the warm summers to the October chill. It works on every level. Not only is this a book for the deepest, most passionate fan but also the perfect volume to introduce and explain to your girlfriend, wife or kids why the Mets matter, why this is not just the Mets history but our own. Just as you can love and appreciate Wrigley without being a Cubs fan, or appreciate Jordan without being his team's fan, you can love this book even if you're not a Mets fan. If you value great baseball writing you'll become a Howard Blatt fan. As do all great authors and their classics, this book transcends its particulars to become something any fan will find fascinating and historically compelling. This book will become as dog-eared as your first scorecard and just as precious.

When I first saw this book and gave it a brief thumbing through in the bookstore I was put off by the fact that the title is really a bit of a misnomer because this book is not a comprehensive overview of the entire history of the Yankees and there are a number of leaps in chronology (from 1980 to the 2000 World Series just to name the most obvious one) but once you settle down and realize what this book is trying to do, you'll be hooked all the way. Lally, who wrote the fine overview of Yankee seasons from 1965-1982 in his 1983 book "Pinstriped Summers", sets out to try and tell stories about moments in Yankee history through the years that have not been told before by going back to the surviving players both Yankee and opponent alike who are still able to give their version of events. As a result, we get introduced to a large number of fresh and fascinating stories such as Cincinnati stealing signs in the 1961 World Series, and there is a postscript to the recent revelation of the 1951 Giants stealing signs in the pennant race as we learn that Leo Durocher refused to do that in the 51 World Series against the Yankees, fearing he would get caught.

No Yankee fan should be without this!

As a big Yankee fan growing up in the 1950s and 1960s this is certainly material that interests me and brings back many memories. Lally does some narration to set up the interviews. But the inside stuff is the interviews with players and managers involved in the games. He goes all the way back to Babe Ruth's called home run in the 1932 World Series and covers a lot of controversial plays and events including the Phil Linz harmonica incident in 1964 (mostly a media build-up. But was it a turning point for the Yankees?
It was interesting to learn how the Giants stole signs in 1951 to make their comeback against the Dodgers but refused to use this proven system in the World Series against the Yankees because Durocher was afraid of being caught.

On the other hand Lally relates how the 1961 Reds stole the Yankee signs in the Series. But that did them no good at all!

I remember how nervous I was when Terry was pitching to McCovey with the tieing run at third and the winning run at second in the 1962 series. I was watching the game with my parents but couldn't stand it when the Giants appeared capable of pulling out a dramatic victory in the ninth inning of the seventh game. So I ran to my room to watch by myself with the sound off. Before I could be alarmed by the line shot he hit, I could see Richardson holding on to the ball.

It was a great surprise to me to hear that Clete Boyer was so scared of what might happen if the ball were hit to him that he was glad when they decided to pitch to McCovey. This meant that the ball would not likely be hit to him! If they walk McCovey to pitch to Cepeda the pressure would definitely be on the third baseman. This revelation was amazing comong from one of the all-time great fielding third basemen.

This is the flavor of the book which follows the history of the Yankees in roughly chronological order. Lally reused some interviews he had gotten from an earlier book with some revision by discussants such as Jim Bouton.

I give it 4 stars because I was a little disappointed with the coverage of the 1996-2001 Yankees. With five World Series to cover, Lally chose a long discussion of the 2000 Subway Series between the Yankees and Mets and said nothing about the 1996, 1998, 1999 or 2001 series. I can understand neglecting the unexciting 1998 sweep of San Diego but the others had their dramatic moments especially Torre's first win in 1996. There was no more drama than the 2001 series with two dramatic Yankee wins and that horrifying ninth inning loss in game seven.

Since I wrote this the Yanks missed the World Series in 2002 and lost to the Marlins in 2003 and then that unthinkable loss of 4 straight to the Red Sox in the 2004 championship series after winning the first three. With playoff losses in 2005, 2006 and 2007 Torre has elected to go to the Dodgers and Joe Girardi will take the helm in New York. Steinbrenner gave the free agents what they wanted and so Posada, Rivera and Rodriguez are still Yankees with the hope of a 2008 World Championship that would finally be their 27th and last in the original Yankee Stadium.

As a big Yankee fan growing up in the 1950s and 1960s this is certainly material that interests me and brings back many memories. Lally does some narration to set up the interviews. But the inside stuff is the interviews with players and managers involved in the games. He goes all the way back to Babe Ruth's called home run in the 1932 World Series and covers a lot of controversial plays and events including the Phil Linz harmonica incident in 1964 (mostly a media build-up. But was it a turning point for the Yankees?

It was interesting to learn how the Giants stole signs in 1951 to make their comeback against the Dodgers but refused to use this proven system in the World Series against the Yankees because Durocher was afraid of being caught.

On the other hand Lally relates how the 1961 Reds stole the Yankee signs in the Series. But that did them no good at all!

I remember how nervous I was when Terry was pitching to McCovey with the tieing run at third and the winning run at second in the 1962 series. I was watching the game with my parents but couldn't stand it when the Giants appeared capable of pulling out a dramatic victory in the ninth inning of the seventh game. So I ran to my room to watch by myself with the sound off. Before I could be alarmed by the line shot he hit, I could see Richardson holding on to the ball.

It was a great surprise to me to hear that Clete Boyer was so scared of what might happen if the ball were hit to him that he was glad when they decided to pitch to McCovey. This meant that the ball would not likely be hit to him! If they walk McCovey to pitch to Cepeda the pressure would definitely be on the third baseman. This revelation was amazing comong from one of the all-time great fielding third basemen.

This is the flavor of the book which follows the history of the Yankees in roughly chronological order. Lally reused some interviews he had gotten from an earlier book with some revision by discussants such as Jim Bouton.

I give it 4 stars because I was a little disappointed with the coverage of the 1996-2001 Yankees. With five World Series to cover, Lally chose a long discussion fo the 2000 Subway Series between the Yankees and Mets and said nothing about the 1996, 1998, 1999 or 2001 series. I can understand neglecting the unexciting 1998 sweep of San Diego but the others had their dramatic moments especially Torre's first win in 1996. There was no more drama than the 2001 series with two dramtic Yankee wins and that horrifying ninth inning loss in game seven.

"Bombers: An Oral History of the New York Yankees" does not cover the entire history of baseball's most storied franchise. Richard Lally is limited to living voices, which is why this book begins with Babe Ruth's "Called Shot" in the 1932 World Series. It ends with a look at the 2000 Subway Series between the Yankees and the Mets, but there is a giant gap between that section and the previous way, which is about the Kansas City Royals winning the 1980 League Championship Series. "Bombers" features oral testimony from more than a hundred people, most of them Yankee players, but some of the better ones come from some of their opponents. Whether you have heard of some of these great moments in Yankee history or not, you will enjoy the insights these players bring.

However, be forewarned that periodically Lally sets up these oral histories with introductions in which he writes with exaggerated rhetorical flourishes. For one excessive example, Lally writes about the 1939 Cincinnati Reds "they made mental errors about as often as Dorothy Parker flubbed bon mots." Rule #1 for the editor of an oral history should be not to get in the way of the people doing the actual talking about history. I would rather hear what Lonny Frey (major-league infielder, 1933-48; second baseman, 1939 Cincinnati Reds) has to say about being swept by the Yankees in the World Series a lot more than anything Frey has to say beyond setting up the historical context. But Lally is so determined to wax poetic that it becomes quite oppressive at times.

But despite his sporadic linguistic excesses, Lally does have his moments, the best of which is "Blackballed," a concise indictment of the refusal of Yankee management to bring black baseball players to the club, ignoring Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and others to sign Artie Wilson, Luis Marquez, and Frank Austin (i.e., ignore future Hall of Famers to go after lesser talent that would not last longer than a season in the minor leagues but give the team window-dressing regarding possible integration). This is one of Lally's longest pieces and it introduces one of the longest testimonies, from Vic Power. Reading about what the Yankee management did just infuriated me and just proved once again that racism makes people stupid. Lally also does a nice job of editing some of the oral histories together to create a seamless narrative, like the beginning of Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak.

This book will appeal to baseball fans, not just Yankee fans. In fact, the character who most caught my interest was Elden Auker, a submarine pitcher who was told by both Ruth and DiMaggio that they could not really pick up his pitches. Auker's recollections are sprinkled throughout the first part of the book and, as he points out himself, he came close to being the man who ended the two most famous streaks in baseball history: Gehrig's consecutive games played and DiMaggio's consecutive games with a hit. Ultimately, the point is that listening to what baseball players have to say about playing the game is worthwhile, even if the team they played for was the St. Louis Browns. There is something bascially compelling about these first person accounts. Hopefully fans of other teams will put together similar volumes for us to enjoy as well.

This book was quite an interesting read. I would most definitely recommend it to any die-hard Yankee fan or even someone who would like to learn more about the most successful sports franchise in history. It gives a nice background of most of the Yankees history.

If you do not understand or like baseball I would suggest if you would like to read this book do so with some caution. It goes into some detail about the games and may be confusing to someone green to the sport. But if you do read it you may find a new love for the game of baseball and the greatest sport's franchises ever.If you are a Yankee fan or even just a baseball fan you will absolutely adore this book

Unlike other baseball books I have read this one didn't seem like just a history but an actual story that although I knew the outcome wanted to read more about. No baseball library would be complete without this gem.

I was a huge Browns' fan growing up, even though I lived about 5 hours away from Cleveland. When the Browns lost on a Sunday, I had a miserable week and couldn't wait until 1 o'clock the next Sunday. Ah, the joy of growing up.

I learned a lot about the Browns that I never knew before about Paul Brown, Art Modell, Blanton Collier and the whole team. What memories it brought back. If you were a fan of that era by all means read this book.

Five years ago upon visiting the midwest I stopped in Cleveland to see a game and visit Jacobs Field. That Sunday morning I drove out to see the remains of League Park because that's where the Browns had their practices. League Park is arguably in the worse part of any town that I've ever visited a ballpark (and I've seen 150-200), but boy was it worth it. Too bad so little remains of the ballpark, but I have a baseball book describing and picturing League Park.

Pluto has done it again. This book, especially the second half, is a must-read for any Browns fan. Pluto's compelling take on the last Cleveland championship is loaded with information that cannot be found elsewhere. If you're a Browns fan, this book, if nothing else, needs to be in your collection.

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE

For me, the acid test of books like these is whether they manage to engage the neutral. Certainly Browns fans will enjoy this pleasant wallow in nostalgia from a time when football was still football.

I'm not a Browns fan but I found myself wallowing along with them. Pluto manages to capture the essence of the '64 season and yet not neglect the wider context. Fascinating stuff.

Award-winning Akron Beacon Journal sportswriter Terry Pluto's latest work is When All The World Was Browns Town. It discusses the 1964 Cleveland Browns, the last Cleveland champion in one of the four major professional sports. Pluto is one of the most gifted sportswriters working today, and the calibre of the writing in this book, like The Curse of Rocky Colavito, is a fine example of his work. It is far better written than the average sports book, in part because Pluto, like David Halberstam, does a fine job of digging up how the people involved saw the events he discusses. One thing I did not care for about the book is that it takes too much of the season itself as a given. The season up until the playoffs only rates one chapter, for example. For those who grew up in Cleveland and remember the season, that's probably sufficient, but I would have liked more focus on it. It's also somewhat unorthodox and anticlimactic to have the title game discussion come in the middle of the book and not the end, and the brief discussion of the 1965 season comes off as whiny and does not give the outstanding '65 Packers the respect they are due. There's much more that is good than bad here, however. Pluto is masterful as usual at showing how different people saw the same events differently. He handles the discussion of Paul Brown well, and did a good job of getting Art Modell's perspective even as he is (rightly) critical of him for moving the Browns to Baltimore. In short, I think any football fan would enjoy this book, and those who remember the '64 Browns firsthand won't be able to put it down.

A very easy read, from a different perspective than most business books. Written from the "outside-in" perspective - the stage of events occurring during a training session that Andrew conducted with a group of corporate executives. It is written using informal conversations and discussions - a unique way to cover process improvement, however at times a bit distracting.

One of the most interesting points made, was the Andrew's requirements prior to his training workshop. He distributed a required reading list to prepare the workshop attendees for the discussions which was a brilliant plan - so many training courses are bogged down because half of the attendees are well-informed, the others are not.

Although a very good book, there is nothing really new or refreshing covered; all of the concepts in the book can be found in the standard process improvement library. Clearly it was written from the Rummler/Brache perspective, which in my estimation is the best. For the process improvement consultant or analyst looking for a book with illustrations and implementation details, go with the Rummler/Brache book. However, for the high-level corporate executive or director level that aren't looking for details, this book is a must-read.

In this book, Andrew, dares to tread where other books on BPM fear to tread. Namely that the big benefits can only be delivered if the buy-in for BPM comes from the Executive level. In Andrew's words "For BPM to truly succeed everyone must get it - from the Boardroom to the LunchRoom."

Given that this is the basic story of the book - and the book very much tells a story - it would be easy for people to assume that the book is solely aimed at executives. This is certainly not the case and anyone who is thinking about or has been involved in a BPM project will get a great deal out of this book.

It is one of the easiest reads I have come across on the subject and Andrew does a fantastic job of beinging together so much material in such a concise and readable manner.

This is one of the few books that I have read and reviewed that I recomend extremely highly to people at all levels within an organisation and to students also.

(similar to my review on amazon.co.uk)
A must read. Recommended for anyone into process. During my recent training I have read over 30 books - this one gets my top vote. I recommend it to my colleagues - is it available in other languages including French?

We know that to be successful, our organizations have to become "customer driven" and that means improving our business processes across the enterprise. But business processes are boring, and so are most business books. This one is an exception.
Mr. Spanyi makes a strong case that if people collaborate better, the organization can reach its goals - despite the tough economy.
Want to attain that "shared thinking" so necessary in cross-functional teams? This book provides real advice that any business person can use. Best of all, its clear and concise. So, if you are faced with improving the performance of your organization, I highly recommend this book.

This is a book that explains Business Process Management in business terms. The book can be introduced to someone with little or no background of BPM concepts. I have been struggling on how to package BPM to help our organization grow. Someone has finally put together a nicely written, short book that can be completed in a few hours on the first read. I would suggest reading this book two or three times and Business Process Management the Third Wave before presenting this to your organization/company. The move from functionally based stovepipe organizations, departments, applications and systems is in the very near future. I would consider this book to be the cliff notes or readers digest version of Business Process Management the Third Wave written by Howard Smith and Peter Fingar (A MUST FOR ANYONE SERIOUS ABOUT BPM).

I was facing the challenge of helping a startup IT company. They were unclear as to what goals they wanted to set for the next few years, and how they would go about achieving their goals.

I used the methodology described in this book as a model to help my client. The simple structure and logical flow of the steps made sense to the client and provided them with the framework they needed. This framework was then used to identify improvement opportunities within the client processes, and to establish focused goals for the next couple years.

I truly believe that my client immensely benefited from the methodology described in this book. A must have for management consultants !

This book clearly presents a well designed methodology for process improvement consulting engagements. Although it works as a general guide to a team-approach consulting process, it is clearly intended as a handbook to be used specifically by consultants who become members of an organization called the Consulting Alliance. This is not just an overview or general guide; it is a step-by-step procedure manual for running engagements. It should be pointed out that this methodology was specifically designed for non-profits and SMB organizations and is not geared to F500 environments.

The accompanying Web site contains a number of forms and other tools to be used in conjunction with the book, so this is really a robust system, and much more than just a handbook. Although production values are simple (spiral-bound), the book and accompanying materials still represent good value for the money and equally important, match the mission of the organization and the values of their clients.

This book details a process that every manager should embrace. It is time sensitive (both for the project and your own), budget focussed and guarenteed to effect immediate results if followed properly. Sound like every other management booklet you have been pushed, probably but Maxwell's Methodology is truely cradle to grave, inception to implementation with a level of detail and due diligence missing from many strategic and operational management planning tools.

This manual is a superb introduction to management consulting. It is a pleasure to read, presented in a narrative format that is easy to relate to and that clearly defines terms. The Priority of Team Improvement is a step-by-step guide for the improvement identification process, a management tool that can be used to help your team identify problems that are causing it to underperform and develop potential solutions that are truly implementable. This consulting approach gives the team ownership over the entire process, which helps to ensure success. The strategies included in this manual can be applied to many situations and are something you will want to continually come back to.

The book "Consulting Alliance - The Priority of Team Improvement" is an example of an improvement process, of which there are probably hundreds available under the umbrella of business processes.

The big issue is the price, the "book" is only a pamphlet that looks like it was just printed out on a bubble-jet printer, not what I was expecting for $18. A more realistic price would be $5.

I talked to the author, he is a really nice guy and very serious about the work that USA Leadership Consulting does.

Well, what a gem this turned out to be. I almost passed over it in the bookstore because the cover art seemed a little blah. Turns out you really CAN'T judge a book by it's cover! I actually didn't notice that this book was the second in a series until I was at home and settling down to read it. Fortunately, this book can be read just fine as a stand alone.

I am very impressed with the quality of writing. Good suspense is so hard to find...especially in the Christian market...so it was with great joy that I read well past my bedtime (and all common sense) to finish it up. The characters are likable and the spiritual message is conveyed with care and conviction.

My only complaint (and it's a small one) is that it takes Dani a ridiculously long time to figure out Will isn't the reporter he claims to be. That got on my nerves after a while but not enough to ruin the book....or even lower my rating.

Pick this one up right away, you won't regret it. Now, I'm off to buy the first in the series...

I loved the first book in this series and this one did not let me down! This was a wonderful, romantic Christian suspense novel.

Will and Dani are great characters that you truly want to get to know. I really like how Will developed and thought that was a great addition to this book. Definitely a close look at how to develop into a Christian.

Take the time to read this entire series - you will be glad you did!

Couldn't put it down! I have a love/hate relationship with writers that get you so into the story that you panic when the characters panic, etc. Worse yet is when you cannot put it down...you try to rationalize with yourself that it will still be there in the morning (it's 3am and you have to get up at 6am) and that it won't change if you close the book for a few hours of shut eye.

Loved it! I own/have read every book Susan has written. I have loaned several out and have had to purchace replacements because no one wants to give them back!

-Bis

Escape To Morning is a wonderful book full of intrigue and danger and romance. Living on the Canadian border as I do, brought this book to life for me.......I could picture Fadima running though the woods with Will and Dannette tracking her!
What a wonderful story. It is a must read! Way to go Susan.

Dannette (Dani) Lundeen is a Search and Rescue worker who is more than capable of handling herself in difficult situations. Will Masterson, Homeland Security agent currently undercover as a reporter, is immediately impressed by her.

Dani however, does not think very highly of reporters, so Will has an uphill battle on his hands to get past Dani's defenses. But when Dani begins an independent search for a missing teenage girl in the woods near the Canadian border and runs into Will, also looking for the same girl, she wonders why a reporter is so determined to help with the search. And Will is bound to keep the truth from her.

Dani & Will quickly found a special place in my heart. Their personal & spiritual journey's were ones I recognized in my own life. Will is trying so hard to learn how to be "God's man." And Dani thinks she has a solid relationship with the Lord, until she begins to realize that there are some areas of her life she has not really trusted Him with.

Susan does a wonderful job weaving spiritual truths into a suspenseful storyline.

I was not a Jerod Haase fan at all, unitl I read this book. I am 44 yrs old and have never played basketball, but I have joined a league and want to play now. Jerod is an inspiration to all special people everywhere. Way to go Jerod! I salute you my brother! I especially liked how he credits his friends with his metoric rise. Tahoe sounds like a good place. Wonderful read!

This is one of the best books I've ever read. It takes you behind the scenes. It shows you that these guys aren't just b-ball players....they're real people. Any true Jayhawk fan NEEDS to read this book!!!!

I thought this was an amazing book. I loved his insights. I am curantly coaching Jerod's nephew, Zac that was mentioned in this book several times, and reading this book has helped me out a lot as a coach. Good job.

Floor Burns was a great book. It was full of emotion and I cried and laughed. It made me think of what its like to be a college athlete. After reading this book Jerod Haase is my hero.

A chronology of Jerod Haase's senior season at Kansas, taken from e-mail correspondence to co-author Mark Horvath. I admire Haase's courage and frankness in baring his soul, although at times the accounts get pretty cliche. If Horvath's primary role in this project was copy editing, he should be ashamed! The text is full of grammatical errors that eventually become distracting.

Warning: Missouri fans will not be pleased; they might be downright ashamed after reading about some of the Tiger antics described in this book!