"Royal Women of Amarna" portrays not only some of the most beautiful pieces created by any craftsmen of the ancient world with both text and fabulous plates, but also the personalities of the women who inspired such timeless masterpieces. This work is more than a mere collection of museum pieces; it tells the tale of every known Queen and princess of the period, spanning from the reign of Amenhotep III to that of his son Akhenaten, even those princesses who are attested by name only in the historical record. The possible reasons for the prominence of females during this period are examined, as well as the symbolism embedded in the art: a personal fascination for me was the theory that the shape of Nefertiti's blue crown is based on the hairstyle worn by women about to give birth, stressing both her fertility and her link to Tefnut. Whilst examining the women who made up a great part of his life, the book also gives some insight and wonderful, suggestive hints towards the personality of Akhenaten, himself. Again, the plates are the best one could ever hope for, making each piece seem tangible to those who have never seen them first hand(including myself) but plan to (including myself:), and the book would be worth purchasing for them alone if the text were not just as compelling. "The Royal Women of Amarna" is a must for any Amarna bookshelf and works of the late, great Cyril Aldred should find no shame in sharing company with them.

The definitive bibliography of Mormon history. An enormous, systematic undertaking. 1152 pages (in small but readable type). Two indices--by author and by topic. Also includes a hundred-page topical guide to social science publications on the Mormons prepared by Armand Mauss and Dynette Ivie Reynolds. This is an invaluable resource for students of Mormon history and/or sociology.

This book is a practical and thorough guide to charitable and planned giving tools and techniques, written by leading experts in the field. It contains detailed analysis, planning examples, questions and answers, graphs, and helpful tables, forms, and samples.

In addition to useful technical information such as when to use a charitable lead trust, and how to structure gifts from retirement plans, the book also delves into more sensitive planning issues such as how to recognize ethical dilemmas, and how to manage a planned giving team which mixes both non-profit and commercial sector advisors.

Furthermore, it provides up-to-date analysis of charitable and planned giving trends, including the use of the Internet, information on specialized software packages, and a detailed chapter-by- chapter bibliography recommending related and timely books, articles, and websites.

This book is suitable for the following readers:

Planned Giving Staff
Development Staff
Attorneys
Accountants
Financial Planners
Insurance Agents
Trust Officers
Investment Advisors

Because the book balances cutting edge techniques with the need to avoid overly aggressive and risky planning, charities may find it advantageous to provide copies to their Advisory Board members and other commercial sector advisors with whom they work. And since the book contains detailed information, ranging from basic to advanced, about charitable planning tools, laws, and trends, advisors who want to include such plans in their portfolio will find this book handy in developing both sound plans for their clients and profitable working relations with non-profit organizations.

Chapter Headings:

Techniques of Charitable Planning
Selling the Dream
General Rules for Charitable Deductions
Income Percentage Limits
Gifts of Property
Partial Interest Rules
E-Philanthropy and Technology Issues
Ethical Issues in Charitable Planning
The Planned Giving Office
The Planned Giving Team
Tools of Charitable Planning
Bargain Sale Transactions
Below-Market Interest Loans
Charitable Gift Annuities
Charitable Giving Using Life Insurance
Charitable Lead Trusts
Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts
Charitable Remainder Unitrusts
Community Foundations
Qualified Conservation Contributions
Donor Advised Funds
Pooled Income Funds
Private Foundations
Retirement Plan Gifts
Testamentary Gifts
Supporting Organizations
Appendices
Planned Giving Trends
Charitable Gift Annuity Rates and IRS Expected Return Multiples
Charitable Remainder Trust Administration
Income Percentage Limits for Lifetime Charitable Gifts
Codes of Ethics
IRS Filing Requirements and Forms
Model Forms for Charitable Remainder Trusts
Charitable Planning Software
Tax Rates and Credits
Valuation Issues Relating to Specific Assets
Valuation Tables
Charitable Planning Websites

Allen's work is one of the most unique in Mormon historiography. Instead of writing about one of the Great Men of Mormon history--Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, or Heber C. Kimball--Allen has focused his attention on a man who was an intimate of Joseph Smith's and served as his scribe. Through Clayton's eyes, we see Joseph from a slightly perspective, from the point of view of a man who was loyal to the faith and devoted to the Prophet, but who also knew Joseph and his immediate family quite well.

Through Clayton's eyes we experience life in Nauvoo, Illinois, when the city was the Mormon capital; we feel the bitter cold of the winter of 1845-46, when the Mormons evacuated the city; as well as the great hopes people had for Utah Territory.

From Clayton's journals, we also see some of the disappointments and problems people went through during this period--the change in leadership after Joseph Smith was killed; some of the confusion on the trail during the trek West; and problems caused by dissident members of the Church in Utah.

Allen's narrative style makes this book impossible to put down. He grips the reader very firmly in the first few pages and doesn't let go again until the very last page. This is the story of one man and his experiences in 19th century Illinois and in Utah, complete with all the disappointments and heartbreak.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in Mormon history.

This book was inturiging, and totally worth 5 stars. It made me remember playing on the court with my friends.It made me remember the big ball, dribbiling on the ground, and to think that James Naismith invented it all!

As a person who reads constantly, I can tell you first hand that this book has put together one of the best collection of stories in one book that I have ever bought, it is well worth [the amount].

A beautifully illustrated book with plenty of information on the history of soaps, this book may be as interesting to sociologists as it is to soap fans. Most noteworthy, is the way it differentiates the soaps from one another in terms of issues that each tackles and why. It is interesting to trace how soaps such as "Painted Dreams" began on radio and what appealed (and didn't) to various audiences throughout the decades. Eg: Isn't it hard to believe that "Guiding Light" (On Cable In Sydney) was orginally a 15 minute radio serial about four ministers? Many soaps mentioned in the book will probably be unknown to younger Sydney audiences such as "Search For Tommorrow" and "As The World Turns" which haven't been on the air for years (decades?) but there is good coverage on todays lineup as well. If you like this book you may want to check out A book by Jean Rouverol called"Writing For The Soaps" (1984) and "Soapbox" (1990) Hopefully a television special of a similar nature to this book could be done because the archive material itself would be priceless viewing.

Jon Bell has done it again, and anyone who owns Max will want a copy of this book in their collection. This isn't just a book about special effects -- it covers creating fantastic, real world materials, discloses modeling tips I've never seen in any book (including NURBS) and explains ray tracing with practical examples. All this and it comes with free plugins not available anywhere else! (Greeble is worth the price of admission alone).

And special effects are not left out as well -- you'll discover how to do some cool things that are well beyond the average tutorial, to make your latest epic really standout. Overall this is my favorite Max book so far, and I have them all. Trust me -- just buy it.

This book covers things that are barely touched on in the manuals and tutorials shipped with the program. The author adds his professional experience and talent to show techniques that are useful not only for 3d studio MAX 2.5, but any 3d program. The tutorials are well written, easy to follow and carefully explained at each step. You always know where you are going when you start a new one. The CD of textures, models, scenes, and plugins is worth the price of the book itself.

Let's get something straight: "3D Studio MAX R2.5 f/x" is written for intermediate to advanced MAX users, and not MAX newbies who can't take the time to read the manuals first. It's especially NOT for people like the two reviewers from Virgina and Texas who gave the book less than five stars because it didn't tell them what every single MAX button does. (The VA guy said, "It Was Not A Book Designed For People That Don't Know How To Use 3d Studio MAX." Well, duh! That's what the manuals are for! Read them first and learn how to use the program!) Once you've done that, you'll find that "MAX R2.5 f/x" presents a bunch of cool tutorials, fun effects, great models and texture maps, and loads of free plugins, including one called "Greeble" that's a sci-fi fan's dream. Still the best MAX effects-specific book out there.

In a time of mega mergers and consolidation this book has an intriguing perspective. The authors (Bain consultants) argue that embracing non core businesses is probably trouble. Drawing on a huge multi-year study and Bain database the authors show that growing companies with unfocused acquisitions in non core businesses are typically under performers. The book shows several examples of how Bain purchased under performing companies (divisions) from conglomerates and by investing and focusing on their core business ignited explosive growth.

You might be asking how then does a business grow. The authors would say first by defining the core business. What business are we really in and good at. Once the core business has been defined and focused on growth opportunities come from opportunities adjacent to the core business. A few example adjacencies could be new customer segments, new channels, new geographies, new value chain steps (forward, backward...), new business, and new products.

If you are trying to define a sustainable growth strategy then this book is worth the read. If you have many non core business that are under performing then this book is worth the read. If you have a successful business and are looking for the next growth vehicle you will want to read this book.

A truly unique management book, based on in-depth research and original thinking, that offers timeless reference points for managers. The author is that rare combination of a truly brilliant management scholar and a seasoned practitioner that has advised corporate managements in dozens of assigments on behalf of Bain & Company, one of America's most highly regarded management consultancies. What a contrast with the dozens of flavor-of-the-month business cure-alls that we are bombarded with every month!

Zook starts his book with a sobering fact: only one company in eight achieves sustained growth over periods of 10 years or more. He then sets to explore the common thread between the chosen few, and bases his resarch on more than 200 actual consulting assignments, a database of 2,000 public companies, and the records of private equity (venture capital) firms.

Zook's most important finding: It is your best performing businesses that are likely those furthest form their full potential! Thus, the best source of sustained growth is to strengthen the best among your businesses, and build on these winners to expand through logical and reinforcing adjacencies.

To accomplish this, Zook offers a clearly conceived and easily understood framework, that is chockfull of practical advice, and refreshingly bare of catchy phrases and obfuscating lingo. Zook's exploration offers timeless reference points that managers can use in every business.

Of course, this review is somewhat biased: my company has been a believer in adjacency strategies built around strong cores, and I have seen first hand how Zook's principles can reenergize a business, build management enthusiasm, and drive profitable growth.

Impressively, Zook achieves the feat of condensing his findings and advice into 150 extremely well-written pages, delivering a concise reference book that every management strategist can (and should) carry in his briefcase as a constant companion.

First, this is an excellent book to read. Well researched, edited, and from experts active in the field.

Second, the author makes many important recommendations about how you should manage your company... strategically. Again, these recommendations are based largely on research done by the author or his peers mostly at Bain & Co. regarding maintaining competitive advantage.

With the exception of Jack Welch (and previously Geneen at IT&T, I'm sure), large conglomerates can not maintain growth rates over long periods of time (ten years was the period used in the book).

So, the recommendations that your company stick to its knitting ("the core") is the foundation of the book. But many people already know this. So, most interesting, are the recommendations and research that show the nuances.

For example, the author shows how the areas around your core business offer the most profitable opportunities for fast growth... yet also contain the most dangers from encroaching competitors, or bad fitting investments. He calls this area your adjacency.

The author suggests that how you manage your adjacency largely determines your success at long term business growth.

There are too many concepts and details to summarize here. There is a lot of meat to the book (although it is not a huge book). Still it is fairly easy to read. You will not whiz through the book because you will often pause to consider the ramifications of the author's points. But it is not a difficult read.

The books major points are well illustrated with many examples (Dell, Microsoft, Starbucks, W.W. Grainger, etc.).

This book is most appropriate for management involved in strategy, and investors trying to figure out the appropriateness of acquisitions by companies.

Most of the pages in my book are underlined. The stories fit the observations and recommedations well. The research presented was most interesting, and was often summarized into easily read charts and tables.

I highly recommend this book. There are lots of implementable ideas in this book. As an investor you will be able to spot an inappropriate acquisition much more easily. ...

I read The Secret Gerden when I was in the fifth grade. The book was a combination of realistic fiction and mystery. I was always looking for clues to explain the next chapter.I was so engrossed in the book that I read 30 pages every half an hour!
The whole plot of The Secret Garden was about a girl named Mary Lennox, an orphaned, disagreable looking, girl, who needed some action in her life. And she reached her goal. She was ten when she moved to her Uncle's house on a moor in Yorkshire. One of the housemaids, Martha, showed her around, and told Mary stories about her family that Mary enjoyed. On of Martha's brothers, Dickon, was an animal charmer and a nice, perfect boy who Mary fancyed that Mary finally met. He helped her uncover and bring to life a huge secret.This secret can not be shared with you, you'll have to find out yourself.Mean while, when Mary was sleeping at night, a childs cry woke her up. On day she investigated the noise. She found another secret on her way, a secret corrider. Will Mary find out who is screaming? If so, what should she do about it? Will Dickon and Mary succeed in bringing the secret alive?
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading exciting adventures. My opinion on The Secret Garden is that out of five stars I would give it 5 stars, because it was so fun to read, and I didn't want to stop!

Once upon a time, a little girl found a book on a library shelf with an interesting title. She took it home and discovered a world where gardens are locked, a boy can talk to animals, and mysteries abound in every corner of Misselthwaite Manor. And friendship is forever. Okay, you guessed it. The little girl was me. The story of Mary quite Contrary, a little girl with no one to love and no one who loved her, Colin the invalid who has spent his entire life inside the manor, and Dickon the simple boy from the moors well deserves the title "classic". There is simply no other story like it. Frances Hodgson Burnett has written a wonderful story about love and friendship between three very different children, and the secret garden that brings them together.

The Secret Garden, written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, is a charming book about a girl named Mary Lennox. She is a spoiled and sickly child who lives in India. When her parents die because of a cholera epidemic, she moves to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her rich uncle in England. Things are a definite change for her. Slowly she becomes stronger and starts to take an interest in the outdoors. She meets all sorts of people like Martha, Dickon, and Colin. Martha is a maid on the grounds who has taken a fancy to Mary, and Dickon is her brother. Dickon is quite an unusual fellow. He possesses the ability to talk to animals and is able to grow anything with a little bit of soil. Colin, who you will meet later in the story, is a child who has basically given up the will to live, believing he is doomed to be a hunchback like his father. Strong-willed Mary reprimands him and takes matters into her own hands. Mary has all kinds of adventures with strange sounds at night, funny accents, and a locked garden. The Secret Garden is a wonderful book about friendship, determination, and perseverence. I would recommend this book to someone of any age. It is beautifully written and full of life.