This giant of the 20th Century, will be known as John Paul the Great by future historians. Today, his teachings are considered "out of touch" with the modern world by the mouth pieces of worldly power, especially on sexual morality. He is considered worthy of derision by them, how wrong they are.

The thought of JPII is trans-modern, it is a bold and sophisticated philosophical approach to the problems that afflict our world. His insights penetrate into the philosphical and spiritual roots of the modern crisis and has found the solution. His approach is a rigorus engagement with modern thought and transcends the dead-end thought that has emerged among intellectual eliets and poisons our universities.

For those who would gloss over his writings, they would miss the mystical import and profound depth of this thinker and leader. So subtle, so rich, it is easily missed.

John Paul II is a prophet to the world, a prophet whose message has largely been ignored.

In the not too distant future, when our need for the TRUTH presses upon us ever more heavily, those who search will find John Paul's writings and be liberated and ennobled by this man's potent seed.

Take this and steep yourself in the truth and allow this man's spirit, the spirit of the Father, Child and Love to fill you.

Here they are, in one collection. Why buy them individually when you can have them all in one place?

This important book provides a study of 12 of Pope John Paul II's encyclicals, from the first of his pontificate, Redemptor Hominis, through the much discussed Evangelium Vitae and Veritatis Splendor, the not-to-be-overlooked Redemptoris Mater, and Ut Unum Sint.

Scholars and non-scholars will be pouring over the Pope's gifts for the next century to come. The encyclicals offer Pope John Paul II's brilliant blueprint for the third millennium. It is a blueprint fashioned from Scripture itself, but with modern insights to carry us forward across the "threshold of hope."

J. Michael Miller, C.S.B. offers an excellent introduction to Papal encyclicals and helpful notes prior to each chapter. In addition, an exhaustive index makes this a superb reference for pastors, teachers, writers, theologians, researchers, and the average layperson desiring to know more about the Church.

Father Miller has captured an entire set of the most significant written works of the Papacy of John Paul II. Clearly the present pope has been a religious and geopolitical figure of first importance in the past 22 years, as has been amply documented in such works as Weigel's 'Witness to Hope' and Bernstein's 'His Holiness.' The universal intellectual achievement however of JPII is understandable most readily in his encyclicals. These documents speak from and reveal a philosopher and theologian of the first quality; indeed, as with Leo XIII, it may take at least a hundred years for the importance of his work to be understood. Fr. Miller has the qualifications on all fronts, as a philosopher, a theologian, and his former employment in the Papal Secretariat of State, to gather and remark on these works. Students of the times and their deepest roots will doubtlessly find here a collection of primary source materials that are indispensible to their understanding.

Praising the Power of Books REVIEWED BY Barbara Hass Sunday, January 30, 2000

In this digital age, a book about the joys of reading sounds quaint, even anachronistic. But sheer pleasure is timeless, and ``I Hear America Reading'' is a celebration of books and the profound effect they have on our lives. It began as a simple letter to The Chronicle. Burlingame High School teacher Jim Burke was looking for ways to inspire the students in his English class. He invited people to describe their own reading experiences, and hundreds of responses poured in from the Bay Area and around the world.

Full of humor and pathos -- some even touched by tragedy -- these letters tell of worlds opening up, lives resurrected and new paths chosen. The writers are teachers and explorers, immigrants and students, convicts and counselors. What they have in common is faith in the power of books, and tremendous gratitude for the gift of reading.

One writer says books led her family to a life of multiple adventures. ``Writings of John Muir and Colin Fletcher sent us into the Sierra for a 40-day, 240-mile backpacking trip,'' she explains. ``National Geographic, Melville, Stevenson, Conrad, Bligh and Cook infected us with an itch to sail the world. Since we couldn't afford to buy a boat, we had to read plans and construction manuals so we could build one. Anduril, the 40-foot trimaran we built, has taken us on two circumnavigations.''

Other writers are new to this country, grappling with English as a second language but eloquent in their passion for reading. ``My life is not so hard like when I got to the USA,'' writes a student. ``Now the books are my friends, company, and they make me feel better when I'm sad or when I'm alone. This is how I feel about a book.'' Some people mention a volume or two that had a special impact on their lives, but one architect can't contain them all. After enthusing over everything from ``Little Women'' to ``A Gift From the Sea,'' she writes: ``I feel a bit like someone making an acceptance speech at the Oscars. I don't want to forget to thank someone important!'' She finally does stop herself and signs off, but her pure joy in reading pops up again in a delightful postscript: ``I just can't leave out Willa Cather's `Death Comes for the Archbishop,' a book I just read recently and loved!''

The letters are interspersed with beautiful excerpts from professional writers sharing their personal reading experiences. ``How astonishing the day individual letters lined up to become messages!'' writes poet-essayist Naomi Shihab Nye. ``Billboards unleashed their mysteries high above us. Signs on barbershops welcomed us to step inside. Lists at the laundromat instructed us about dyeing and lint. When I read the words `cream puff' for myself on the menu at the tea room where my grandma had taken me for a grown-up ladies lunch, tears rose in my eyes! The code was now mine!''

A wonderful part of ``I Hear America Reading'' comes at the end with a list. In fact, there are dozens of lists, all cleverly compiled for specific reading audiences. ``Ten Books for People Who Think the World Is Absurd'' is the first one (``The Basketball Diaries'' by Jim Carroll tops it); then there are such others as ``Ten Books to Read Aloud in the Car While Traveling,'' ``Ten Books a Teenage Boy Would Want to Read'' and ``Ten Books We Should All Read Before Childhood Ends.''

The lists, like the letters, make us want to step away from the computer screen and pick up a new book just for the joy of it. They remind us that reading is as alive and well as when we first discovered it.

San Rafael writer Barbara Hass specializes in education and family issues.

In our rush to teach children how to read, are we remembering to teach them to want to read? I Hear America Reading: Why We Read; What We Read by Jim Burke, addresses this important question about the value and power of reading for the individual and society. Some time ago, Burke who is a high school English teacher in California wrote a letter to the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle inviting the readers of that newspaper to write to his students about their experiences with books and reading . He was delighted when he returned to school the following week to he discover the first batch of what would eventually total four hundred letters. Those letters made a difference for his students who were inspired that so many people would take the time to write to them about the benefits of reading. Now fifty of the letters have been published in I Hear America Reading. Read the letters for personal inspiration about why reading makes such a difference in so many lives. Share the letters with your students by reading them aloud. Students will be encouraged to want to read since most of the letters tell a story of how reading and books shaped lives. This is a thoughtfully crafted book, special care has been taken to select letters that feature the writer's strong voice. In addition, inspirational quotations from famous people about the power of reading follow each letter. The book ends with an appendix that is a "List of Lists, booklists that list books of every type to tantalize the reader.

This is the true inside information on the nomination of Ike for President. Along the way learn about New York and the New York Young Republicans. A well written story. I feal like I know the man. May he rest in peace.

... or should I say "WOW!" This one almost snuck by me.

Amazing, fast reading and I want to read more!

This short story collection centers on the impact of separations and divorce on the participants including extended family members. However, the twenty tales share a dark look at IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES as the audience is treated to situations that do not end as peacefully as our current legal system expects.

Lia Matera has put together a remarkable anthology that has several excellent stories, some very good tales, and no poor entry. The cross-genre contributors are a modern day who's who with such noted authors like Oates, Cross, Deaver, Lutz, Buchanan, and Muller, etc. None of the writers are lightweights as they all hold their own with the heavyweights. Anyone who enjoyed the Battle of the Roses will fully relish each tale that paints a very dismal look at broken relationships.

Harriet Klausner

John Hudson Tiner dones a fine job of writing this easy reading book of Kepler's life. I cannot comment on how well he makes the subject matter easy to understand for the intended audience, since I am not experienced in that area, but I can tell it is a great book for high school and older -- a book written for young people that adults can read without feeling like it is written beneath them. One great feature of this book, and other books by Tiner in this series, is the fact that he explains scientific facts in such a way that those not familiar with them can gain an understanding of some of the contributions of this man to astronomy. Pictures, some from Kepler's works, throughout the book make the book even more valuable.

Any biography on Kepler is not true to the man if his faith and science are separated. Raised in a less than ideal family situation, Kepler lived in incredible times so far as the fighting over religious beliefs is concerned. Though he held firmly to and held dearly his own faith and gave up much because of it, he did not wish to become involved in the fighting over it. He also freely acknowledged that God gained glory from whatever scientific study he did.

Kepler's contribution to astonomy was immense. As an example, he was provided with much needed observational data from Tycho that allowed him to determine the orbital path of Mars (around the Sun). This opened the door to determine the orbital path of other heavenly bodies as well. At one point he was motivated to discover the truth about the heavenly bodies to help dispel the superstition that caused his own mother to be tried inappropriately as a witch.

This book provides a good starting point for learning about the life of Kepler. Such reading is wholesome and inspiring and good for teaching excellent values in life. To continue my study of Kepler, I am presently reading the book on him titled Kepler by Max Casper, Dover pub., 1993, a book clearly written for adults which includes much more detail. Tiner's book was a good preliminary for this latter book.

The old saying goes that variety is the spice of life. That being said, this book is a full-flavored feast for the short story reader. From SciFi to horror to comedy to religion, Random Words is a tastey melting pot of character driven stories that will leave you wanting more. It's a good thing that the young Mr. Burke has 3 other books available.

This is an excellent and well researched biography of General Brehon Burke Somervell,a true genius,Commanding General of Army Service Forces in WWII and considered the father of Modern Military Logistics.

Finally a book that actually uses the peer reviewed literature. It was a pleasure to read this book knowing that you were getting factual and scientifically valid information. If you want to know what works in training and nutrition this is the book. Now I dont have to buy all those supplements - and have I saved a heap of $'s.

After battling with a school physical education project on training principles, I found this book in our library and WOW, the assignment was easy! This book really made good practical sense and turned my essay from boring science to cool information. I now find myself wanting to read all the sports magazines to find out more about how world class athletes train and what they eat. Sounds to me like some of them need to buy a copy of this book to read!

There are so many good points about this book I hardly know where to start. What impresses me most is that the authors have maintained a balanced and rational view on the many diverse and sometimes conflicting inputs - lab. tests, experience in the sport, folklore, practicalities - all of these impinge on the attitudes of athlete and coach, and can result in a lot of confusion and uncertainty. The book does an excellent job in unravelling these tangled strands of knowledge and half-knowledge to present the a clear and accurate picture to the reader. Uncertain points are made clearer, several myths are debunked (some of my own misconceptions were cleared up). Yet where the truth remains hidden or is unclear this is commented upon. Concerning scientific studies the source material is extensive and up to date.

The layout and language are so clear and reader-friendly, and the material so interesting that I found it hard to put the book down. However, I'd have to advise readers not to try to take in too much at a time.

The few inaccuracies in some of the details didn't detract from the message or the overall quality. There is one slightly surprising omission, namely the absence of any discussion of the Conconi test for aerobic performance. Nevertheless, the sections on training are excellent; the ones on nutrition are even better.

Reading this book reminded me of attending a good conference where lots of company executives provide detailed examples of the issues they faced, and how they went about dealing with those issues. Since such conferences usually cost several hundred dollars, this book is a real bargain -- and you don't have to get on an airplane and fly someplace!

One of the strengths of the book is that you receive several perspectives on the context for each case history. The editors describe what each case means, and the conclusions section summarizes general patterns. Also, each case is presented in the same format which makes it easier to understand what is being shared. I was particularly grateful for the exhibits (which exist in electronic form in the CD enclosed in the book). I also appreciated that the cases were primarily written by Human Resources professionals inside the companies, rather than being a consultant's take on what happened.

Having said all those positive things, let me share some concerns. First, I looked in vain for my favorite examples of outstanding work in recruiting, retention, knowledge encouragement, and executive development. If this book is about "best practices" where were GE, Disney, Motorola, Ritz Carlton, and SAS Institute? Second, many of the cases involved companies that are better known for their poor performance than for excellence. If they are developing their people so well, what happened? Third, a lot of these cases involve new initiatives where the long-term consequences are hard to see. Fourth, the profit impact on the organizations was not well documented. That makes it hard to use these cases as examples to encourage your own company to follow suit. Fifth, as change management processes, most of these cases are far behind the curve of what is described in Peter Senge's various books of case histories such as The Dance of Change. Part of the reason seems to be that a number of these cases aren't very new.

Of the cases in the book, I recommend the ServiceMASTER, Westinghouse, Johnson & Johnson, Allstate, and Case Corporation examples as the most helpful to me. I mention that because there's a lot of material in this book. I read a lot and rapidly, and I found this book hard to tackle. By being more selective in what you go after, you can help avoid some of that problem. Naturally, if your own issues are only in a few areas, just look at those cases.

Develop the full potential of everyone, beginning with yourself!

"The principal goal of this book is to provide you with the key ingredients taken from best-companies to help you create and enhance your organization and human resource development (OD/HRD) initiative. Through a case study approach, this book provides practical, easy-to-apply tools, instruments, training, concepts, and competency models that can be used as benchmarks for the successful implementation of your specific OD/HRD initiative (from the Introduction)."

In this context, Louis Carter, David Giber, and Marshall Goldsmith (editors) divide core part of this book -Organization and Human Resources Development Case Studies- into following five OD/HRD topic areas:

I. Organization Development and Change: In this section, W. Warner Burke says, "Seven rich cases (Kraft Foods, Nortel, ServiceMASTER, SmithKline Beecham, Westinghouse, CK Witko, and Xerox) of organization development and change are discussed...The cases cover a wide range of change from how OD occurs every day to deep change in an organization's culture...Without doubt we can learn from these cases. And learn we must. Changing organization is too intricate to be left to novices. We have indeed learned and noted at the outset, but we still have much to learn. As one who has been involved for more than 35 years, helping organizations change is both thrilling and very satisfying. Learning, however, is the most exciting part (pp.6-8)."

II. Leadership Development: In this section, Jay A. Congerwrites that "In the cases that follow, we look at three companies (Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, and Sun Microsystems,Inc.) that have dedicated serious time and resources to leadership development...In addition, all three of the company cases make extended use of competency models, 360-degree feedback, and action learning (p.186)."

III. Recruitment and Retention: In this section of the book, John Sullivan writes, "you'll learn how three diverse companies tackled their retention and recruiting problems. Two of the firms are high tech (AMD and Cellular One), while another (Allstate) is in a more traditional industry. Both AMD and Cellular One focus on solving the hot issue of retention while Allstate takes a new look at the recruiting and selection processes. All three of the case studies use a scientific approach to identify which solutions have the most impact...All three of these case studies are worth examining because of their scientific methodology as well as their results. All are full of powerfull 'lessons learned' for those who are soon to begin a major recruitment or retention effort (pp.303-304)."

IV. Performance Management: This section examines performance management systems of Case Corporation and Sonoco. Edward E. Lawler III says that "the performance management systems in most organizations are contoversial, ineffective, and constantly under construction. They are so problematic that critics argue many organizations would be better off if they simply didn't have a performance management system, particularly one in which performance appraisals are tied to pay actions. But-and it is an important but- if individuals are not appraised, counseled, coached, and rewarded for performance, how can an organization pruduce the organized, coordinated, and motivated behavior that it takes to perform well? The answer most likely is that it can't (p.393)."

V. Coaching and Mentoring: Introduction of this section, Beverly Kaye writes, "the last 5 years have seen a groundswell in both arenas. And it's not just been more of the same; organizations have begun to use mentoring and coaching more purposefully. HR and OD practitioners have worked to utilize both interventions to meet pressing business problems having to do with the development and retention of talent, as well as the growth of future leaders. These interventions have been more systemic, more thoughtful, and more innovative than ever before. The case studies (Dow Corning, and MediaOne Group-AT&T) illustrate this trend. Both were motivated by specific business drivers, both were preceded by intensive research, both were implemented over time, and both were evaluated seriously. Readers will find them instructive, detailed, and engaging (p.438)."

Finally, Louis Carter (editor) says that "contributors were asked to indicate where they envision their organization is heading with its initiative within the next 5 to 10 years. Responses indicate that the contributors want to keep the organization on a track to continuously learn and develop its capabilities. Comments from some contributors indicate that they want to leverage lessons learned from this experience. Some contributors commented that they want to firmly ingrain the initiative into the organization to the point that it is almost invisible to the user, making it an accepted part of life at the company. Other contributors will continue to refine the present initiative in place, while others will expand their efforts into other business lines. Survey results clearly indicate that the present state of the initiatives represented in this book represent snapshots of moving targets. Further growth and innovation is inevitable for these best practice organizations, as they work to stay ahead of their competitors by embracing change and continuously learning and improving (pp.531-532)."

Strongly recommended.

Here in a single volume is about all that is needed to design, implement, and then monitor a program through which to achieve organizational transformation. Moreover, the editors have selected both information and wisdom which can help to ensure that such a program is comprehensive, cohesive, and cost-effective. The phrase "best practices" is apt but should not be misconstrued to mean that strategies and tactics which have been highly successful in some organizations are necessary going to be successful in all others. Moreover, I urge the reader to keep in mind that, although the organizations featured (e.g. Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft Foods, Nortel Networks, ServiceMASTER, SmithKline Beecham, and Sun Microsystems) are among the largest in their respective industries, much of the material in this book is also relevant to small-to-midsize organizations. My own rather extensive past experience with all manner of organizations (including non-profits) has convinced me that most people do not fear change; rather, they fear the unfamiliar. Hence the importance of three on-going initiatives: communicate, communicate, and communicate.

Part One consists of Acknowledgments, About This Book, How to Use This Book, and an excellent Foreword by Richard Beckhard. Carter, Giber, and Goldsmith then shift their attention in Part Two of "Organization & Human Resources Development Case Studies." The individual case studies are distributed within this thematic structure:

Organizational Development & Change

Leadership Development

Recruitment & Retention

Performance Management

Coaching & Mentoring

Part Three: Conclusion consists of Research (OD/HRD Trends and Findings), Endnotes, About Linkage, Inc., About the Editors, Index, and How to Use the CD-ROM, terrific value-added benefit.

Back to Beckhard's Foreword for a moment. In it, he identifies six (6) "elements" which are basic to each case study; all are central to and sequential within the change process associated with organizational development/human resource development (OD/HRD). They are: Business Diagnosis, Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, On-the-Job Support, and Evaluation. It is helpful to keep these six "elements" clearly in mind while working your way through the abundance of information which the editors provide. Fortunately, they have organized the (sometimes daunting) material with meticulous care and write exceptionally well. I also urge you to use the same six "elements" as guidelines when determining what the design of your own program for organizational change should be, and, when selecting those strategies and tactics discussed in the book which are most appropriate to the implementation and evaluation of that program. This is especially true of decision-makers in small-to-midsize organizations.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out O'Toole's Leading Change, Katzenbach's Real Change Leaders as well as his Peak Performance , Kaplan and Norton's The Balanced Scorecard and The Strategy-Focused Organization, Quinn's Deep Change, O'Dell and Grayson's If Only We Knew What We Know, Isaacs' Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together, and Senge's The Dance of Change. Those especially interested in Six Sigma are encouraged to check out (and read in this order) Pande's The Six Sigma Way, Breyfogle's Implementing Six Sigma, and Eckes's Making Six Sigma Last.