The first half of this is a pretty good read, as the author provides some decent context about the development of baseball around the turn of the last century.

The second half has a tendency to degenerate into repetitive and awfully superficial chronicle, and doesn't bring the 20's and 30's to life in the same way as the earlier sections--even though there were colorful characters galore available.

(I noticed the same flatness in large sections of Alexander's history of baseball, Our Game. There too he often retreats to mere narrative, and away from insight.)

If you've read the 50 or so better baseball books available, or if you enjoy hearing oft-told tales told once more, this is a pleasant enough way to kill two or three afternoons.

This is the first book I have read from the many that Charles Alexander has written about turn of the century baseball players and I have to say that Mr. Alexander is a voracious researcher as he has facts and events of McGraw's life down to every little detail. For this, he is to be commended as he has certainly put to paper, atleast to this point, the definitive book on John McGraw.
However, this is not a short or an entertaining read by any stretch of the imagination as Alexander's book is decidedly bland in its detailed accounts of seasons past. After detailing McGraw's many outbursts on and off the field, Alexander chronicles McGraw's gambling misdeeds and even possible corruption (to the degree of the 1919 Black Sox). But Alexander does not write with a lot of imagination. His work reads exactly like you might expect a chronological account might: vanilla.
Although I enjoyed reading this book and appreciated all of the facts and research Alexander did on McGraw, I cannot say that this is one of the better baseball books I have read. Still, it remains the only book of any substance on McGraw, so if you want to learn about one of the most important men in the history of baseball, this is your book.

John McGraw dominated the landscape of baseball from 1890 until 1933. He came to demolish the enemy in score and spirit- and often succeded. He was the Master of an age where sportsmanship was considered a negative. From his days as a star and ringleader of the dirty & scrappy (NL)Baltimore Orioles until his death soon after managing the first NL all-star team, McGraw played key roles in nearly every major event in baseball's most formative years.

In 1901 he helped formed the American League, then tried to kill the AL in 1902. Why no World Series in 1904? McGraw. Inventor of the Hit-and-run? McGraw. Originator of collarless uniforms? McGraw. First to use Relief specialist in the bullpen? McGraw. First in 3 World Series in a row? McGraw. 4 in a row? McGraw. Only his pupil Casey Stengel has matched McGraw for total pennants. His career placed him in a pennant race NEARLY EVERY YEAR in 5 DECADES! (As Manager 10-1st, 10-2nd, 4-3ed place finishes in 32 years.)

Alexander presents the events of McGraw's life in chronological order- enabling the reader to use 'John McGraw' as a reference book for what happened in baseball in any given year due to the detail provided by Alexander. Charles C. Alexander writes history books about baseball; not mere collections of tales and legends set to prose. His facts are throughly researched and documented. However, even well written history books sometimes become tedious in detail. This book is no exception. Personally, I prefer an overkill of facts to haphazard story telling. Not quite as well written as the masterful 'Ty Cobb' and compelling 'Rogers Hornsby' by Alexander, but still the cream of baseball biographies.

The post depression era of baseball was one of the most turbulent times the sport has ever known. From the near collapse of some major league teams, to the invention of night baseball, Alexander's new book is like reading 12 years worth of newspaper sports sections, all crammed into one book. Charles has a great way of bringing light to some very interesting facts in baseball history, but some sections of the book could get a little monotonous. In a yearly breakdown of events preceding the Great Depression, we are taken through the 1930's, and into the early 1940's by way of yearly statistical leaders, brief synopsis of team standings, and a few other major tidbits. Along the way, Alexander occasionally plugs in some personal insight, as well as some excellent lost trivia, that some baseball historians may not know. He has also dedicated one chapter to the Negro leagues of the era (Shadow Ball), which I found to be very interesting and deeply fascinating. Overall, I would recommend the book to all baseball enthusiasts.

What made the 1930's such an important era for professional baseball? How did the game evolve as both a sport and a business? How did the developments of this era influence the shape of the game in the decades that followed? These are some of the themes explored by historian and baseball fan Charles Alexander in "Breaking The Slump."

Alexander's greatest gift seems to be for biography; his lives of John McGraw and Ty Cobb are true standouts. In trying to cover the sweep of an entire decade, he sometimes loses sight of his larger perspectives, but on balance, this is a very worthwhile effort. Alexander's prose is clear, it flows well, and he does have a knack for digging out forgotten nuggets of the game's history.

If you want to know more about the heyday of Hank Greenberg, Jimmie Foxx, Carl Hubbell, Mel Ott and Dizzy Dean, this is a worthwhile, mostly satisfying book.

It goes without saying that baseball's history dwarfs that of any other sport, and Charles Alexander has done an excellent job of covering the period of baseball during the 1930's and up to the beginning of the U.S.'s entry into World War II. It's true that this time period has been covered in other books, but it still is a very worthwhile read for anyone interested in baseball history regardless of whether you have read about this era or not. The advent of night baseball and the birth of baseball's Hall of Fame took place in the 1930's. Many of the game's players were suited for work in baseball and nothing else. As pitcher Waite Hoyt stated, "The trouble with baseball as a life's work is that it takes the player's best years and trains him for nothing else." It is also the story of the racism that prevailed, not only in the major leagues, but in the country as well. Many of the greatest players such as Satchel Paige, James "Cool Papa" Bell, and Josh Gibson toiled in the Negro Leagues because they were denied entry into the lily white major leagues by a "gentlemen's agreement" that owners denied even existed. Baseball struggled during the lean years of the 1930s, but many great players took part in the game and played for salaries that were better than workers in other paying jobs were receiving even though the reserve clause tied players to the club that signed them. The author hints that baseball during the '30s may have been better than any other time period, and many players feel the same. I guess players from any era feel their era was the best, but I would have to say the era following World War II may have been even better. I don't see how baseball could have been best during the 1930s when a large portion of the population was denied entry into the so-called national pastime. What I especially liked about the book was the author didn't bore the reader with an endless account of games and how runs were scored. I haven't liked all of Charles Alexander's books (in my opinion his book on Rogers Hornsby came up short), but this is a book you will enjoy if you enjoy baseball and its history.

Just like all the other portable MBA books. This book is packed with pretty useful ideas. It is very focused and so you 'll need to be as well when you read it.

This book boils all of the marketing concepts I learned while in B-school(and some I didn't) into an easy read format. The only thing missing is that annoying quant-jock who sat behind my chewing gum the entire semester! If you just want a great introduction to marketing, or are an MBA looking to refresh your understanding of the 4P's, pick-up this book. You won't be disappointed.

Companies flying high on economic good times may be in danger of forgetting the business fundamentals that underlie their success. Increased focus on the bottom line, competitive strategies, and financial goals divert attention from the primary source of every company's good fortune-the customer. The Portable MBA in Marketing, second edition, is dedicated to the principle that the only guarantee for continued success is a consistent focus on and attention to customer needs, preferences, and expectations.

This powerful tool for business success in the twenty-first century furnishes bright, ambitious managers with a solid grounding in MBA-level marketing theory and practice. Fully updated and expanded, this new edition emphasizes fresh marketing strategies and cutting-edge marketing concepts and techniques that help keep you in touch with your customers. It focuses on the key issues facing companies today, including how to outperform competitors, anticipate future trends, improve advertising and sales, build customer loyalty, and market on the Internet.

Charles D. Schewe, PhD, is a principal at Lifestage Matrix Marketing and a full professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He has authored ten books and more than fifty articles on marketing. Alexander Hiam is the author of a dozen books, including Marketing for Dummies, The Vest-Pocket Marketer, and The Entrepreneur's Complete Sourcebook.

Reviewed by Azlan Adnan. Formerly Business Development Manager with KPMG, Azlan Adnan is currently Managing Partner of Azlan & Koh Knowledge and Professional Management Group, an education and management consulting practice based in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysian Borneo. He holds a Master's degree in International Business and Management from the Westminster Business School, London.

This book is good, but has been heavily edited.

I would recommend against buying this book, but instead buy "The Soul Of an Indian" Charles Alexander Eastman (Ohiyesa); published by University of Nebraska Press; ISBN: 0803267010.

Ohiyesa puts his spirituality in simple words without getting bogged down in ceremonies by rote, and dogma.

I HIGHLY recommend the writings by Ohiyesa. Just not this heavily edited version.

I encourage questions and comments via E-Mail. Two Bears.

If one wants to know what it is "really" like to have the problems of a drug addict, one doesn't ask the therapist (sorry), but rather the addict. Only a true Native American can explain the life, in its many aspects, of a Native American----and, although we have many examples of the wisdom of Native American chiefs, few attain the level, from a philosophical/religious view, as does Ohiyesa (C. Eastman). He is truly a poet in the simplicity of the words he uses, while simultaneously imparting a veritable glimpse of the meaning behind his words. For this reason alone, he, I believe, will be time-honored, when one wants to get a view of Native American life in the future.
Sadly, but perhaps necessarily, Ohiyesa was torn between two worlds---the white (education and profession, as well as residence in the East) and his heritage, which he felt bound to,as the atrocities continued to unfold in his lifetime, some of which he experienced firsthand.
For persons of "a certain ilk", I believe that the many people who respect the wisdom of "The Prophet" (Khalil Gibran)will equally respect this writing.

The presentation of the indians life and purpose will challenge a persons prespectives of life and the purpose to which all of us have been called. Do you live a life of love or are we so drawn to the material and success orientations of this world that we have lost perspective of the real purpose of life? Ohiyesa will challenge each of us to look into yourselves and ask the question do I truly care for what is right or are my values based upon what I have acquired. Do I walk in truth or do I live a lie? Do I care for my neighbor or do I only think of myself? Do I see God in what has been created or do I deny His existence? Ohiyesa, will challenge the very foundations of western society and our ways of thinking. He challenges the christian and the church as presented in our society today. Do we live as Christ, or do we use Christ to obtain control? I found this book a great treasure of clear thinking and profound statements that make me question the values that I have what of you?

The articles in this book are great reading. They provide thoughtful insite on many different topics. The cases, however, are completely useless without the instructors' manual. As best I can tell, the instructors' manual is not available for purchase unless you are using this book for a class. Therefore, in my opinion, this book is a poor value outside the academic world.

This falls between the average "how to" and academic journal type articles. Great for classroom use, or for enterprising individuals who want to teach themselves about negotiation. Nearly all the authorities in organizational behavior and negotiation are included here. Nice variety of approaches to the subject. Exercises cover the range and include material on natural environment and on international negotiation. International material needs more, but gives good beginning frameworks. Exercises need teacher's manual (forthcoming?).

The book provided some interesting information about toilet training, but none of the techniques were helpful for me. My daughter is showing signs of readiness to train, but the techniques are not for her. We can not use the "Readiness approach" because her bowel movement are not at the same time every day, she is too old for the "Early approach" though she is under 2 years old, and there is not enough information on the "Rapid approach", instead you are advised to buy another book to explain it in more detail. The first two approaches may be helpful to other parents if your child has regular bowel movements or is 3 to 15 months old.

We found this book extremely helpful in getting our 3 and a half year old daughter to finally use the toilet for her bowel movements. After less than one week of practicing the "desensitization" method our daughter was successful. We also found the suggestions for bedwetting very informative and have relied on the appendix to further guide our research on this topic and to help us find retailers from which to purchase equipment to aid us in eliminating bedwetting. The book provides an excellent overview for different methods of toilet training and addresses age specific problems and offers age appropriate solutions.

This book is a great compilation of the story of a young Indianboy who grows up to learn the traditions of his family. It was veryinformative and a great read. It would also be beneficial for people intereted in Native American history or just those wanting to read a good novel.

Very outdated material. The book is completely disjointed and is an insult to professional sales people. The book uses outdated jargon and actually used the word "niggardly" to discribe a situation in the book. That word has been and should be scrapped years ago. Aside from a brief portion at the beginning of the book, I assume the revised portion of the book, the rest of the book is tough to read and outdated for today's sales professional. I can't believe some one actually recommended this book to me!

Although there were helpful closing techniques within this book. It was completely unfocused. Instead of concentrating on the best closing techniques, it presented every possible closing technique possible and gives no direction to the reader as to which ones to choose. I'm surprised this book has sold so many copies.

I first read this book when I checked it out of the library, and it was so good, I had to buy a copy for myself.. No kidding, I read a lot and every other book I have read doesn't hold a candle to this one. One of the best I have read in my life. This book doesn't tell you what to wear, or to shine your shoes (which if you call yourself a sales person you should already be doing). It gets right to what matters most, CLOSING SALES. Many different options are offered, and I'm sure you'll find several that will work for you. Email me if you have read anything comparable. Thanks you.

I rate this book very low, because it wasn't laid out well and it always seemed lite there was a cloud of dsapair hoovering around the setting.

I disliked the book because it showed a life despair and the main characters faliures about becoming a "white man," and not staying as an Indian.

cannot find any other books that compare with this book, if I could they would easily beat this book in ratings. The book was very poorily written It didn't stick to the main plot at all. THe characters were always being switched around. For instance, the cheif got killde but he is still at the reservation talking to Alexander East (the main character).

The book was about some indians that were practicing a different religion and planning an uprissing. That scared the villagers, so they took great measures in protecting the rest of the villagers. Alexander East went into an immotional downfal about this time. Then the uprising began. But thats not the crux of the book. You have to read it to find out the rest, though I strongly discourage it.

The Book was written by Jamake Highwater and supposedly a true story. Over all it was book that was written poorlyabout a man who was dispearing and feeling soory for himself.

My critique over the book I read, Eyes of Darkness, was near a seven to an eight. Or in other words a three, to a four star. I enjoyed it, but it was a little hard to understand. The dialog was confusing because, to me, they spoke more in Indian and Chinese language. But still it kept me wondering what was up coming. This novel was like nothing I have ever read, so it was still a good change for me. I would maybe even like to read another type of book similar, but maybe by a different author to get a change in flavor. I'm not trying to put the book down, but I just didn't care of the way it was written. I did really enjoy the plot. It kept me reading on. The character each had their own "way". No one was too much the same. But if you enjoy something different of a different kind, then you'll probably really enjoy this paticular novel. I also was really into the placement of the book. It was new to me because I don't usually read a book form Canada in the "Indian" Time Frame located in Canada. I would really recommend this book to anyone who is into a different harder read. Thank you!

Based on the life of Dr. Charles Alexander Eastman, a full-blooded Sioux, who was taken from his people at age fifteen. In writing an introduction to the reissue of Eastman's own autobiography, Indian Boyhood, author and scholar Jamake Highwater became fascinated with the subject and wrote his own fictionalized version for young adult readers. It is a true story, gleaned from Eastman's own words. It vividly shows a man trying to live in two worlds, and it is written by a man who understands what it is like to do so.

Tony Coe,s picture is on the cover yet there is nothing inside about this ex Clarke-Boland sideman who was the first non American to win the Jazzpar("Jazz Nobel") prize and
played the tenor sax solo on most of the Pink Panther films
plus plus.Also missing is British Nigel Hitchcock who can
blow anyone away.
Although an acceptable coffee table book,
it is defective for the above omissions plus.
Perhaps it,s all down to the well known British cronyism!

good photos, good write-ups and pretty extensive, but while including many young, up-and-coming players, it neglects to mention one, who is hardly "up-and-coming" any more and most certainly among the most important modern players, namely, Kenny Garrett. Having been playing since he was a teen with the Duke Elington Orchestra, he moved on to the likes of Art Blakey, Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis before going out on his own. His albums have gained world wide acclaim (Pursuance, i believe, got best album one year in Down Beat). Most important is the fact that practically every alto player these days is trying to sound like him. For that kind of impact he should at least be mentioned.