error Books

We seem to be surrounded by bad decision making on all levels...from 'road rage' on our highways, to the city council, from the school board to the boardrooms of America. When your fellow man's 'logic' seems to defy reason, turn to Stuart Sutherland for solice, explanation, better decision making strategies...and good hearty laughter. You'll see yourself, your family, friends and co-workers brilliantly described...for better or worse. Best of all, the author gives really rather simple ways to improve our thinking on a daily basis, and helps to understand others who aren't thinking clearly.

Stuart Sutherland neatly skewers all those pieces of human behaviour that have driven you mad because you couldn't understand how humans could ever act like that, with a simple understandable explanation; They aren't rational.

This sounds like a truisim, and it is. But critically, it's the insight that irrationality is itself a specific form of human behaviour, that is entertaining, revealing and I would even say liberating in its effect.

For example; YOU think that by reading this review you are going through a rational process at the end of which you will make a considered decision on buying the book. In fact, you've decided already. What you're really doing here is justifying that decision.

I bought 30 copies of this book in 1994 and gave a copy to every member of the marketing department. Now I want to buy more, but my advocacy can't stretch to US$40 a copy for hardback. Please mr publisher, do another run of paperback!

Sutherland's book became a constant companion for me the week it arrived. I began reading it at work during lunch, and found myself quickly drawn into...better said, hopelessly slipping into a vigorous head nod and agreeing with this author's purpose and insights. He clearly says his purpose is to demonstrate that people are very much less rational than is commonly thought of and to set out systemmatically the many reasons this is so. Nobody is exempt (p. 3) The convincing magnetism for me was the undeniable brute reality of the arguments, which I could easily spot as I went through my work day with my colleagues. The chapters on obedience, conformity, and in and out groups directly helped me appreciate more the struggles that I see my Japanese colleagues and students have, as well as internationals living and working in Japan experience. His book helped me accept and avoid some conflicts with some "leaders" by providing me with the poignant irrational category. Otherwise I would have used a different language set to describe their "irrationality". I enjoyed this book through and through. He covers all of the bases...and I do mean all from historical, medical, military, education, finances, with great studies and nicely illustrated stories. The transitions from chapter to chapter, and the pithy summaries at the end of each chapter makes the reading flow. It is a book that definitely provided some great coffee break material at work as well a lot of laughs at home. Still the benefits are to be seen in my personal reflection and application to my own thinking. This report suffers from the halo effect Sutherland describes. His one chapter at the end on the "Causes, Cures and Costs" did leave me wanting more as I felt the curtain was drawn too quickly. But I was not negative because I felt I had got my monies worth from many of the preceding chapters. This is the first book I have read by Sutherland. He is a great writer and I am looking forward to getting into some of his other works. His book is not a formal treatise in logic that one would get from an expert like Copi, or Kahneman. Indeed some research indicates that even with formal training, there is little improvement in our reasoning skills. Nevertheless, Sutherland provides us with a conscious raising book that is sufficient to keep us all humble and honest. Thank you Dr. Sutherland for the tips of how I can make my world a the work world I live in a bit more tolerable with a smile. I hope the book is in line for a second edition.

Absolutely excellent.

This book takes our own way of thinking and shows us where we make mistakes while thinking we are being perfectly rational.

Wonderful examples, easy reading style - you don't notice how much you learn while being entertained - and he really makes you laugh at your own mistakes - that's not easy, at least for me, I tend to get annoyed when I'm wrong and some very wise person shows up and tells me about it - while he does it in such a funny way, I really don't mind.

A wonderful book, I reread it again and again.

It is scary, though, to think of all the foolish decisions being taken every day in the name of "rational decisionmaking" - this book ought to be mandatory reading for everyone who makes decisions - so really, for everyone.

Informative and well written, Dr. Dorin's research is relevant to government authorities and consumers. His well organized and concise writing style make this an interesting read.

I highly recommend this book.

Dr. Dorin has written a thought-provoking and timely treatise on the vulnerabilities of our health care system. This book is extremely relevant to both healthcare providers and consumers.

This book by Doctor Dorin is the first breakthrough text to provide a detailed prescription for health care workers, academicians, and politicians to overhaul the way medicine is delivered--toward to goal of reducing medical errors and the potential for purposeful 'mischief'!

I highly (and emphatically) recommend this book!!

This book is very well written and I hope the law makers in Washington take note and make some changes so as to protect our health care facilities.

I highly recommend this book.

This book brings the character of Jo Shelby Ferguson to life--right from the beginning of the first page. Morris has serious talent and lets it show. He takes Jo Shelby on a believable journey in search of his roots and creates an unforgettable journey from the Mississippi delta to Mexico. It's the (seemingly)true story of a man with an unquechable thirst to find out who he really is, and Ferguson is willing to do anything to accomplish it. Joe Morris' writing is up there with the best of the literary geniuses of the 20th century--F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, and Zora Nealle Hurston, though it is a little faster paced than Faulkner. He (Morris) is sure to come out with other and greater works. He must!

First time novelist? Unbelieveable for Morris' writing is that of a well disciplined, seasoned writer! The story of Jo Shelby Ferguson catches you and moves you along the search of his family roots. The reader moves with the main character feeling his frustration, his pain, his daring, his adventure, his every move imtimately. The author must have done his homework, especially with the authenticity of the adventure on the river barge and life in the Mexican prison. The skillful and creative use of language, the vivid descriptive scenarios linger long in the reader's memory. Woven through the tale are the moral lessons of determination above all odds, and commitment to the ultimate goal. The story opened a chapter of southern history unfamiliar to me of Yankee birth! For the superior writing and the historical perspective, I am a grateful reader. When is the next novel to appear?

I found "Land My Fathers Died" to offer what many books of today do not. The novel treats readers to a wonderfully intriguing story told with grace and poetic deftness in describing a man's courageous, searching spirit. The descriptions of Mexico's vastness, ts colorful cities and its rapidly changing vistas of montains, deserts and plains are beautifully done and gives the mind many vivid pictures to recall. And one will well-remember the story's people who are given depth and "realnness." I felt the novel really moved along smoothly, with no slow stretches. Morris well shows what he can do with words and plot. I very much look forward to seeing his next work.

I picked up this book off the bookstore shelf because the cover and the author's name grabbed me (I'm a big fan of southern literature and I hadn't heard of the guy before). Needless to say, I didn't stop reading from the time I began reading in aisle, to the time I bought the book, through the time I spent on the bus, through my dinner until I slept at 2 in the morning.

This book has the makings of a classic--it's that good. The language, reminiscent of McCarthy and Hemingway, guides you through Jo Shelby's quest for identity. Jo Shelby's trip from Mississippi to Mexico, in search of his only remaining kin (descendants of Confederates who fled from the states to Mexico after the Civil War--a historical fact of which I had no knowledge) makes for a gripping and compelling read, wrought with danger and violence (there is a particularly gruesome fight scene in a Mexican prison which I still can't forget) and lessons about the meaning of honor, persistence and hope.

I'm amazed that this is a debut because Morris writes as a seasoned writer would--with patience and unpretentious honesty. A classic.

A mid the mud and muck of Victorian Canada, the author presents a tale of history and reality. She sketches out the historical manners and seeting beautifully. Then she combines it with the very real life of a policeman. A man who has survived a dreadfully violent past to build a career, a career that seeks to save others from violence, and punish those that threaten it. His daily life is interrupted by shadows of the past he has worked so hard to put behind him. He must deal with both his sister's untimely death, and the reappearance of his violent father. The question is not simply will he save the father he hates but should he? An evcellent addition to the series, I recommend it highly.

_LET LOOSE THE DOGS_ is the fourth book in Maureen Jennings Detective Murdoch Series. The series is set in 1890s Toronto and Jennings beautifully captures the squalor and the beauty of a Late Victorian city caught in the midst of a dark northern winter. In all her Detective Murdoch books Jennings uses the city as it should be used, weaving the peculiar ravines that define Toronto into the fabric of the story, drawing on the uneasy alliances between Catholic and Protestant, French and English, and depicting the clash of poverty and wealth living side-by-side.

In _Let Loose the Dogs_ Detective Murdoch is dragged into reinvestigating a crime literally days before the man who has been tried and condemned for it is set to hang. The case is complicated by Murdoch's past relationship with the accused, and his own belief that the man is probably guilty. At the same time Murdoch is dealing with the grief of his sister's death in a Quebec convent, and the family secrets emerging from it. The crime itself revolves around the illegal betting on 'ratters', dogs trained to kill rats in competition, and the book takes us into the obsessive world of the "fancy", where Victorian's bred and raised animals for sport and competition.

It was a wonderful read, taking me into a fascinating world that I know little about. All in all, an excellent book and highly recommended.

Acting Detective William Murdoch is shocked to learn his long lost father, who he has had no contact with for many years, is about to be hung for the murder of a fellow ratter he lost a bet with at a ratting match. Harry Murdoch pleads with his son to find the real culprit, eventhough he is guilty of historic abuses against his son and family, which presents a moral delemma for William. Layers of the family history are peeled away as William seeks to not only confront his father for the abuses, but to also solve the crime and save his father from the hangman's noose. I did not know who did it until the end, the author kept me engrossed and guessing. A terrific mystery and story.

In 1895 Toronto gambling on which dog could kill the most rats in a set of time is an illegal, but widespread practice. Harry Murdock bets his entire summer earnings on his dog Havoc winning a contest, but at the last moment he was distracted and Mr. Delaney's canine is victorious.

A drunken Harry accuses Delaney of cheating. However, when someone kills Delaney, the police charge Murdock with the crime. He's found guilty and is sentenced to hang. The warden contacts Murdoch's son William, an acting-detective. When Harry begs his son to clear his name, Will is dismayed because he doesn't want to help the man who beat him up so many times, but accedes to his request. At first it looks like nobody other than Harry could have killed the victim but Will's investigation rattles many of the betting community whose alibis aren't as airtight as they want every one to believe.

LET LOOSE THE DOGS is a very atmospheric, gothic like story starring a likable protagonist who readers will admire. The audience empathizes with Will as they understand the hero's ambivalence about investigating his father's case since he fled his childhood home when he was thirteen to escape his father's fist. The fact that he gives it an honest effort makes him better than many people who hold grudges beyond the grave. The mystery is well done with a plethora of suspects who could have committed the crime but Will only has a few days to discover if one of them is the killer before his father hangs.

Harriet Klausner

Dissecting Pinocchio: How to Detect Deception in Business, Life, and Love

If you are interested in learning how to spot lies and liars, rather than just dealing with the emotions brought on by being deceived, I suggest reading Dissecting Pinocchio.

My family practice physician "prescribed" this book for me during a very dark period in my life. It's short, practical and a very easy read. I make it a practice to re-read the book at least once a year.

While I've found the book makes an excellent gift for folks who are suffering, it's important for the giver to remember that reading this book -- or any book -- doesn't guarantee a magic fix. The reader must be committed to change. But sometimes when we're suffering, we're so overwhelmed that we don't know where to begin. This book has some mightily powerful suggestions.

This book was the beginning of a journey that has changed my life. After suffering through many years of anxiety and depression, among other things, The Lies We Believe showed me the misconceptions that I had been letting cause my unhappiness and ultimately it has led me to a deeper understanding of myself and Jesus Christ. If you take the Truth from this book to heart, you also can experience the peace that has begun to flow in my life.

This book has been my number one best 'life changing' book. I'm aware of the lies I believe, tell myself and unknowingly teach others. I wish I would have known about this when I was five. It's important to filter your thoughts, understand your behaviors and destroy the lies you tell yourself daily. Chris clarifies what's a lie and why and then empowers you, through Christ, to make changes and live in freedom. Walking in the truth is powerful...read his sequel to the book called, The Truths We Must Believe. Both are truly 'life changing.'

Lani Massey Brown uses well-written fiction to make a point to those of us who are neither political wonks nor computer-types. This book is a real page-turner and a good read for anyone that likes high drama. Even if you don't care about how easy it is to steal an election, the perils that confront the characters in this book make it worth reading just for fun.

Lani Brown pulls off a topical and frightening scenario of 21st century electoral corruption in A Margin of Error: Ballots of Straw. Being the former tabulation manager for one Florida county's election committee, Brown has a unique insight into the machinations of our new voting systems, as well as a keen eye for a story. Her lead character, Cady Palmer, Deputy Elections Supervisor knows that Miami's election has been rigged by a high-tech stalker, but no one wants to hear it. People in power have spent a great deal of money to get the election results they wanted, and they don't care to undermine anything. Soon, Palmer's embroiled in a national conspiracy going to the highest reaches of government. This book reminded me of Don Bruns' Florida conspiracy/caper novel STUFF TO DIE FOR.

On break this summer, I holed up with some of my favorites, Grisham, Roberts, Koontz, Cornwell, Flynn and a Higgins Clark tossed in for good measure. Then with all the election brouhaha in the news, I switched to "A Margin of Error Ballots of Straw," expecting a high-tech rampage of murder, mayhem, and technical speak in overdrive...not. Susan Cady Palmer is a business woman challenged by all the under the table stuff most women in business don't talk about publicly. Her boss is a throwback, straight from Dilbert, but more perverse. Sexual harassment is his special kick-down Cady tool. She's put up with it for years. Until now, when the stakes soar to an all time high and she tells him to, "Put a sock on it." One of those snapshot moments. I wish I'd said that!

Then comes Cady's spy, Neal Charles. Glorious Isabella may not want to take Neal home, but I do. Move over, Cady.

"A Margin of Error: Ballots of Straw" is an unlikely love story. And oh, by the way, I'm a convert. Fiction, sure. But the facts jump off the page. Could a vast right, left, or center conspiracy hijack this or any election? Maybe it already has.

It's a realistic novel that will intrigue anyone interested in fair elections, especially for Florida voters.

Realistic scenarios in the voting process that should make you wonder if this could happen or if it has happened.

Makes you wonder if paperless voting machines should be banned.

Everyone will have to or has had to take a prescription drug at one time or another in their lives. This books take readers behind the scenes for an in-depth look at what drives pharmaceutical companies, doctors and drug legislation as well as pointing out flaws in what many people regard as trusted medical research. This book is a real eye opener and a must read for everyone as it provides important information in protecting one's own health as well as the health of their loved ones. It is also the only textbook I have read in the last four years cover to cover and I think that says a lot.

This is an important book for all people who care about drug policy as it relates to criminal justice, the pharmaceutical industry and the practice of medicine - which should be all of us.

Well-written, inportant book which affects all Americans is the way that I would describe Fred Leavitt's THE REAL DRUG ABUSERS. Dr. Leavitt offers excellent examples of the way that drug companies manipulate both doctors and patients.

This is an excellent book that exposes drug companies for what they are: profit driven corporations with little or no regard for people's health. The book goes on to discuss the so-called war on drugs (the never-ending war justifying the imprisonment of nonviolent individuals in the name of public safety and health). Again, this is an excellent book and it should be read by anyone who has concerns about national health care in its current state.

...this book is an eye-opener. Although the examples from history, business, and science are enough to prove each of his points, the real worth of Nightingale's ideas is the way they illuminate and explain what is happening around us in early 2008 in the arenas of politics, finance, and religion. If he were to update this brand-new book in a year, he'd have plenty of current events to slot into the chapters on wishful, mythical, tribal, and royal thinking traps. I'm a former educator, and I know this book would be a great resource in that world.

It is easy reading and filled with detailed and clear "case studies."

i read a good deal of "strategic planning" material, being a consultant of sorts. this one is a great read, not overtly intellectual and self-serving as many in this genre turn out to be. the case work selection is spot on and they illustrate what the author is describing here - the need to avoid decision making processes that are not based in logic and common sense.

Nightingale clearly and thoroughly outlines steps in order to make more unique decisions in order to actively increase productivity of a complex organization.

Since receiving this book, not only have I personally benefitted, using it as my personal guide, but my customers have as well; I have passed it on to the c-level at all of my clients with great reception.

Great read!

Nightingale depicts the intriguing mistakes made by important scientists, government leaders, and business managers, and yet finds a common thread of underlying psychological forces to weave them altogether. The anecdotes in each of his four categories--thinking, mythical thinking, tribal thinking, and royal thinking--bring you into the mind of his subjects so the reader can really understand how someone could have made the mistakes they did. Nightingale accurately depicts the thought processes and mindsets and puts them into a digestible framework for his readers to learn from and enjoy.

Nightingale's book is witty, engaging, and an unusually enjoyable read on this subject. This is a very useful book for all of us who make decisions for a living.

Here are some professional reviews sent to my publisher:

"Campbell's book is magic. It sings. It dances. The law ought to be about people-- people in trouble, people with claims for justice who need to be heard. Art Campbell knows this. He also knows how to bring you into the lives of the people he has-- with wit, grit and dedication-- represented over the years. This is a great book. " -- Mike Tigar, internationally renowned trial attorney.

"Professor Campbell's Trial & Error reads like a fast paced work of fiction with fascinating real life experiences, laced with poetry. I am grateful that he had the insight to record and preserve these images from his life so that the public and a generation of lawyers will have the unique opportunity to peek into his past and share these vivid courtroom scenes, his keen wit and his growth as a burgeoning attorney. Campbell's journey, while sometimes painful, is remarkable for the intensity of his feelings and his single minded desire to always improve. And improve his does as we watch the birth of an outstanding lawyer. Sit back, read this book and be prepared an exciting tour through the eyes of a truly talented person." -- Mario Conte, former Executive Director of Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

"Art Campbell provides us with brilliant flashes of insight into the mysterious workings of the legal system. His prose poems are heart-wrenching, powerful, compelling. As an insider, Campbell is in an unique position to provide vivid glimpses at the colorful characters on both sides of the law. His prose poems are full of compassion and a generosity of spirit. In sharing with us his 'tales from the trenches,' he reveals the heart and soul of a young trial lawyer." -- Nancy Kim, lawyer and author of critically acclaimed novel CHIMHOMINEY's SECRET.

"For anyone who is now, or ever has been, or ever wants to be, a criminal defense lawyer, Art Campbell's book of prose poetry is a must read. Art, who has been there and done that, is a compelling storyteller of the life of one representing criminal defendants- good, the bad and the ugly; not even the judges are spared his acerbic pen." -- Rt. Hon. James Stiven, Judge, San Diego Superior Court, Retired.

"Lawyers, the best and the worst of them, are storytellers. When the stories cluster around an ever elusive justice, as they do in Campbell's Trial and Error, law amounts to little more than tragedy. And yes, there are a few hard fought victories for clients along the way. The law, as we see in Campbell's stories, is a life of the bitter and the sweet; it makes for lawyers, a topsy-turvy life." -- Jim Elkins, Law Professor and Editor of The Legal Studies Forum.

In musical prose and poignant self-analysis, Art Campell's tales of his early years as a defense attorney in Washington, DC, are ripe with clear-eyed portraits of the down-and-out, the untrustworthy, and the over-confident, namely, Campbell himself in the guise of the young self-proclaimed "freedom lawyer." Whether his clients are innocent or guilty matters not to this author---it's his defendants' humanity that propels him. With each drug dealer or burglar, he tries to find a way for the law to bring stability to their wayward lives. That rarely happens. I loved reading the deftly told "The Thanksgiving Addict" about a man Campbell thought he had saved but couldn't or "The Weird Case" in which the trial becomes a showdown over due process for the client and not the client's guilt. The judge's verdict is often a surprise but the truth of what the law, the prosecution, and the accused teach Campbell about life is not.

From the first to the last page, Art takes me to legal hearings, describing strategy, tactics, sharing his victories and defeats. Each poem is a mini-lesson for anyone interested in Law, and in Defending, in particular. A quick, fun book, not easy to put down.

Art uses interesting and colorful language; afterall it's prose poems -"...how easily a defense can crash when splayed on spindly legs." (p49); "...drawn a warp and woof of words..." (p54).

I enjoyed the many adages and quotes sprinkled throughout the poems, like "...When facts stand against you, pound the law. When law stands against you, pound the facts. When both stand against you, pound the podium." (p94) and the Contemporary Zen adage: "A closed mouth gathers no foot." (113).

I plan to order Art's next book - Trial & Error Volume II: For the Prosecution.

What a surprise to find a book written by an attorney about being an attorney that is rich in insight and yet doesn't take itself too seriously. In language that ranges from profoundly true to wryly ridiculous, this collection of story poems follows a student lawyer from his idealistic beginnings through the end of his first year by which time he has become the first student lawyer to argue before his state's Supreme Court. Along the way he wins some and loses some and learns that to some clients saving face is more important than the verdict. This is not a glamorous view of the law but it's clear as you read that Campbell loves the law and respects even the lowliest of his clients. He calls himself a freedom lawyer because he knows that all of us -- the scarred exheroin addict, the man denied a jury of his peers, the boy in the wrong place at the wrong time -- depend on the the fair administration of justice for our freedom. This was lots of fun to read.

This book is a must-read for any trial lawyer, and especially for criminal defense lawyers. It is a very inspiring book. John Tucker is my hero!

John Tucker offers a wealth of tactical insights gleaned from an impressive career as a litigator, mixing the pathos of legal practice for good causes with the legal theories deployed on behalf of a wide array of clients.

By striving for objectivity, Tucker avoids the self-aggrandizing tone of some other such memoirs and instead focuses on the meaty tactics, the rush to file, the strategies behind certain suits, and a bit of background to explain why things mattered to him. The diverse cases he litigated at every level, from initial motions to the Supreme Court, are presented fairly. Many are not the blockbuster cases one might have heard of - esp. Clark v. Universal Builders - the case Tucker fought for harder than any other, and though he ended up losing in court, some sort of justice prevailed. Tucker's may be the only enduring account, and as such, he offers a gift to litigators and civil rights activists alike.

Two flaws: first, the promotional packaging focuses on the Chicago Eight case, in which Tucker played a small part, as if it were the focus of the book. It's not. In some 20 pages of 360, Tucker explores it and moves on. Lazy publisher might not have read further...More relevant, Tucker evades criticizing his partners and associates (his piercing critique of Judge Hoffman drips with justified acidity), dropping only a subtle hint about other frictions. But that's a forgivable indulgence: who could fault him for refraining from offering anything but praise for mentors and colleagues?

Tucker's career is a model for litigators worthy of emulating. While much has changed since he started practicing, the ongoing struggle for justice (and clients able to pay for it) goes on.

A must read for future litigators, if only for the tactical insights.

For any who lack faith in the America's legal system or think all lawyers are worthy subjects of jokes, Tucker's book is the proverbial lightbulb in the cave. Tucker recounts his journey through a lengthy career as a trial lawyer and along the way demonstrates that our judicial system, while short of perfect, is still the best in the world. Tucker helped the poor, the wealthy, the politically powerful and powerless and the reviled through the judicial system. Some cases he won; some he lost.
Win or lose, however, Tucker fought the good fight for his clients, often pro bono.
His story is complete. He reveals the importance of trial preparation -- an element that truly separates competent lawyers from their clumsy brethern (the latter of which I always seem to retain; while the former retain me as an expert witness). Tucker tells some wonderful stories about judges, good and bad. Like Tucker, I am from the Chicago area and am very familiar with bad judges. Tucker discloses that there have been many good judges in the area as well and provides useful insight into their judicial reasoning.
All in all, a wonderful book that will redeem lost faith in our judicial system. "Trial and Error" is not a courtroom thriller: it is far better than one -- it's real life and I for one am glad that Tucker decided to take the time to write his memoir. It is well worth reading.

Jerry

Twenty-one different courtroom cases are covered in this book by a most successful attorney who has his head on straight; by that I mean he mixes the intricacies of the law with living a "normal" life. He certainly puts in long hours in preparation, but that goes along with his job. The author states, "In the American Legal System, a lawyer's job is not to seek justice, but to win the case for his client." He relates many interesting cases, but two exceptional ones are defending a rapist who is truly mentally defective and one about defending the "Chicago Eight" in 1968. A lot of detailed information about that political incident is fascinating. Mr. Tucker does a lot of pro bono work and one of this type was defending the Contract Buyers League in Chicago...a race conflict of great proportions. Fine writing delineates complex legal cases that are most understandable.