As I read this book I became aware of just how much times have changed since 1949. Nowadays no Harvard Business School MBA student learns this style of business. Now they teach students how to line their own pockets while dismantling successful American businesses and putting all the employees out on the street. They also teach that this is simply good business.

The example of the Harvard 49ers is inspirational, and their adventures in business make for an exciting story.

This is one the best books I've read this year, a year in which I've completed an MBA in Medical Group Management after being confronted with a concentrated dose of the issues facing healthcare today. I've been a practicing physician for 27 years and couldn't overstate how well this book lays out the problems we face in the delivery of health care. There will be many objections to the ideas and recommendations contained in this book, especially from the special interests who offer us naught but "False Hopes" for a utopian future; but, in the final analysis our future depends in large part on a devolution in health care to an affordable steady state which can serve the basic needs of our society--our whole society. If you want a stark yet sober answer to our overall healthcare conundrum, rather than a mere list of the problems we face, read this book. It's reminiscent of Schumacher--it's "Small is Beautiful" for health care.

Harry Callahan was the most influential and important figure in photography throughout the last half of the 20th century. This edition of his work shows chronologically how Callahan's approach to the medium evolved and changed, while his vision remained ever faithful to modernity. The book begins in Detroit, where Callahan worked for Chrysler while pursuing photography as a serious hobby. It was also during this time that he married Eleanor Knapp, who would later become the subject for many of his strongest images. The accompanying essay by Sarah Greenough is succinctly written, blending biographical information to the photographs Callahan took throughout his long, photographic journey (Callahan died in 1999). Callahan's outlook on photography changed dramatically after having met Ansel Adams, at a photography workshop in Detroit. Taking some of Adams' philosophy and refining it, Callahan created his own style of photographing/printing, made apparent by such images as 'Weeds in Snow' and 'Detroit, 1942'. In these images and throughout the rest of his life, Callahan easily turned the simplest subject matter into monumental works of photographic art. The book provides powerful examples of this, in both black & white and color. After leaving his job to pursue photography full time, Callahan moved to Chicago and taught at the Institute of Design. Continuing the experimentation he began in Detroit, Callahan worked and refined his style during his Chicago years, utilizing double exposure, collage, close-ups, and the use of positive and negative space. The book then turns to Callahan's New England period. It was during this time that Callahan taught at the Rhode Island School of Design, in Providence. The book captures this period vividly, with images of varying contrast and mood. Here we see Callahan's ability at adapting to his environment by producing increasingly poetic images of nature, as well as urban and suburban street scenes. In his later work from 1972-1992, the photographs in "Harry Callahan" document the photographer's travels in other countries, with an increased attention on color. It remains clear by the images shown in his later years, that Callahan continued to explore photography by constantly challenging himself and the medium. Where most photographers are known for one particular style or body of work (Cartier-Bresson's 'decisive moment' or Robert Frank's publication of The Americans), Callahan is known for many different styles and bodies of work. The photographs in "Harry Callahan" prove this with each turn of the page. Callahan was a photographic artist in the truest sense, if we choose to believe an artists' goal is not only to create but to constantly evolve. Callahan was, continues to be, and always will be an influence to those photographers who seek not only perfection in the creation of their photographic art, but also change.

The book starts with a Grisham approach you would find in "The Firm". A hero gets a top job in the Pentagon and is lured by his respect to his boss. Then somewhere in the middle, the book turns into a fast pace Clancy. I read the book in three days. Something I haven't done in a long time. In fact I spent four hours transfixed on the last chapters as the plot begins to unfold. Keep it up Mr. Callahan. You're a natural.

I found a remainder hard copy of the book for $4.95 and figured even though I never heard of the author, what could I loose. Suprisingly, it was an excellect story, it was written just as well as Tom Clancy could have done with about half the pages as Clancy would use - and the characters were all well developed. A newly honored war hero (Lieutenant Turzin) is recruited into the pentagon by Sherman (a former presidential canidate) and Admiral Forsten (vise chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff) to assist them in their personal plans. Upon realizing their possible treasoness behavior and falling in love with Sherman's mistress, Turzin has a lot of serious work cut out for himself.

Callahan's story and writing is great, but what makes this audiobook is the outstanding performance by Michael Beck! Beck brings to audio what John Wayne, Bogart and Louis Gossett, Jr. brought to the silver screen with a dash of Rich Little. Beck really makes the story come alive. His ability to produce a voice for each of the characters, including the women, is nothing short of fantastic. Do not miss this performance!

This book is the literary equivalent of being paired with a trio of septuagenarians all sporting mid-30s handicaps. I considered taking a speed reading course just to get through it. I would more readily suggest "To the Linksland" or "Blue Fairways" for truly entertaining golf literature.

From the dreaming up of their Royal & Diabolical Golf Club with its par 72, 37, 319 mile couse to the finish, this book finds golf fun around the globe. These two writers play in unbelievable places, Russia, Iceland, Nepal. Especially enjoyed their accounts of Augusta and Shady Oaks. Good, enjoyable read.

Any one with an interest in golf or travel will thoroughly enjoy this book. I underestimated the power of the writing of these two sports journalists. Their truly fascinating accounts of the people they meet and situations they encounter enlighten as well as entertain. Please go out and read this book!

Save your money and purchase the REAL stories 'outlined' in this cheap book put together to ride the wave of The Perfect Storm. The collection of stories is nothing more than a collection of extended abstracts of the real stories. Many of the 'abstracts' are taken out of context and the reader does not get an accurate picture of what and why the nautical situation developed or how it concluded. Pass on this one.

This book is in a series put out by Adrenaline books and each book contains certain selections chosen by the editor. The selections are either excerpts from books, excerpts from diaries and journals, short stories, or an occasional essay. I look at how good the writing is, and how good the stories are.

There are 16 selections in this book. Half of them range from good to great, and the other eight are fairly poor. The writing is okay throughout, with some being more exceptional than others, but it's the stories that differ the most in quality. Six of them, whether written well or not, have virtually no story whatsoever or are very poor. As it turns out, the best stories in this book are also some of the better written. This is where the book's strength shows up. The selections introduce you to stories and books you may have never read and after reading some of the good selections, it makes you want to go read the books they were taken from. So I would mostly recommend this book to people who have not read much or any sea stories. It introduces you to a wide variety of sea literature. But otherwise I would only lightly recommend it by saying that everyone would find some selections that they really like.

Clint Willis has created a fascinating series of books with Epic, Climb, High, Wild, Ice, Rough Water, and The War. Each of these volumes presents the best literature about their respective subjects in a powerful cohesive manner. These books are a quick read, but intricate and spellbinding. I have given many of them to friends and family as gifts.

Unwinnable wars is good, but not great. It covers to some level most of the recent ethnic conflicts (Kurds, Yugoslavia, Rwanda and others), however rather than cover any of them in detail, the author looks at America's attempts to influence the outcomes. More details on the horrors of these ethnic conflicts would have made the book more powerful. The author takes an academic approach to the issue, which is good, not too emotional. Overall a good book on potential solutions to the issues raised by worldwide ethnic conflicts.

Callahan's book is a sober look at the mindset and condition of US policy makers in the face of ethnic conflict. He describes well the opportunity for policy makers to recognize that the traditional tools of diplomacy may no longer be adequate for dealing with these situations.

While traditional diplomacy has historically been able to avoid the troubles of enthicly based conflict via strong military occupation (i.e. the Balkans under Soviet Rule and other colonial occupations) Callahan illustrates that there is no text book of philosophy or precedent to which policy makers can quickly refer for a ready made solution. Policy makes are left with a mix of apathy, frustraton and absence of clear policy goals in attemtping to resolve or otherwise influence these situtions. Policy makers must face the fact that they must learn to speak the language of ethnic conflict or face the inevitablly tragic consequences.

While the world has watched the massive calamities of Rwanda, East and West Timor and other hot spots as world bodies seem to have ignored them, Callahan is careful enough to point out that these situations are extremely difficult to moderate even when there is deliberate and concereted effort to influence these situations. He cites anxious US diplomats in the Balkans seeking a peace as well as similar attemtps by US diplomats in Rwanada to mitigate the pending slaughter.

While, he argues, ethnic conflict may not be totally eliminated, he does argue that with the appropriate sweat equity put in now, much of the tragedy that is waiting in the wings can be dramatically reduced if not postponed indefinitely.

While not an action/adventure read for those seeking an emotional take on ethinic conflict, it is a good investment for those building a knowledge base on the current and future state of US policy making and policy making world wide.