Every marketing professional and specially media planner should read this book.

This book is NOT by John Thomas Scopes, who did not pen his autobiography "Center of the Storm" until after the release of the film version of "Inherit the Wind" rekindled interest in his 1925 trial in Dayton, Tennessee. This volume contains the "complete stenographic record" of the trial, which was published that same year as "The World's Most Famous Court Trial." The book is supplemented by the text of William Jennings Bryan's undelivered antievolution speech, caricatures of the various lawyers, and photographs of the proceedings. This volume should not be confused with the official trial transcript and the only point at which the absolute accuracy of the record is suspect is the end of the celebrated cross-examination of Bryan by Clarence Darrow. Several of the first person accounts of the conclusion of that infamous encounter have lawyers yelling things that are not preserved in this record, but it is not all that farfetched to imagine the bedlam at the moment and the impossibility of maintaining an accurate record. Besides, Judge Raulston ruled the exchange inadmissible when court reconvened.

I did my dissertation on the Scopes Trial and if you are interested in doing anything with the case or its still vibrant issues, this book contains your primary documentation. Do not get caught up with what people SAY about the trial, READ the transcript. Many history books confuse the "Inherit the Wind" version of what happened with the real trial (most importantly, Bryan volunteered the idea the days of Genesis were not literally twenty-four hour periods, he was not cornered into the admit ion). This trial is as fascinating today as it was 75 years ago.

A good read for a complete novice on the world of Wall Street and corporate America. We benefit from the indepth research of the authors, clearly close to their subject, and, from their good journalism, as they know how to tell a story without losing the layman. My subtitle for the book would be 'all I ever needed to know about LBOs' -- the RJR Nabisco buyout is an excellent case study. There's little too much extraneous detail on the characters -- it's distracting -- but perhaps that's an effort to give them some depth. Indeed, it's a pity that many of the main protagonists are so reprehensible -- I found it hard to empathise with any of the characters. And the story does leave the reader with a sense of disillusion on two points: the sheer waste of money and resources squandered for the sake of egos; and clearly, contacts (especially amongst the 'jocks') are as, if not more, important than diligence, competance or intelligence

For starters I would like to say that I saw the movie of the same title (several times - but I like James Garner) before I read the book. The movie is a comedy which successfully captures the spirit of this book, but this book is not a comedy.

The authors do an excellent job of developing the characters by telling how they rose to their respective positions at this focal point, and telling the story as it unfolds.

It is like all of the worst traits of humanity - greed, ego, pride, vanity, a hunger for power and conquest and victory - are played out in this true story of the LBO (Leveraged BuyOut) of RJR Nabisco. Companies being tossed around like commodities, while the little guy who works hard to make a living suffers.

This is the only book I have read on this subject to date. Some of the other reviewers have suggested other titles, and many of them are probably worth reading as well.

Five stars.

This book is a description of the largest leveraged-buy out of the 80's. The book covers the management buy out of RJR and all the financial moves that took place to get it done. It covers the winners and losers and the tactics they used. The authors are investigative reports so they have the ability to provide the reader with a very well constructed and easy to understand story. They really bring the reader into the negotiations and all the high pressure and tension is coved to the reader. The most fun was when the authors took to describing all the financial players involved, their egos and ways of life and doing business. The excesses of some of the companies detailed are really something.
If you are interested in this topic then I would suggest you also read "Den of Thieves" and "Predator's Ball", both of which cover the 80's M&A and Junk Bond world. To get a better understanding of KKR, I would suggest "Masters of Debit" and if you are looking for more info on this particular deal I would suggest "True Greed".

I have been a supporter of the death penalty for many years especially where the victims are innocent children but this book clearly demonstrates the need for a review of a system that allows a person such as Roger Coleman to slip through the cracks.

To preclude a person access to natural justice and the due process of law because a brief is filed a day late is bureaucracy at its worst.The allocation of defence councel with no real experience in capital murder, the apparent "botched" investigation, the zealous pursuit to execute Roger Coleman at all cost is a sad indictment of the American Judicial System.

The book did not change my views on the death penalty. I believe that unprovoked murder is a capital crime and the appropriate penalty is death. However I kept hoping as I turned the pages that a miracle was going to occur, sadly it was not to be and it would appear an innocent man was executed.

John Tucker does a excellent job in presenting a balanced approach to an unbalanced trial. This was an engrossing tale of the darker side of our judicial system. Regardless who committed the murder, Roger Coleman did not receive a fair and just trial. While we will never know the truth, it seems that many miscarriages of justice occurred throughout this long process and there are many who will atone for Roger's death--the judge, the defense team, the prosecutors, the Governor and his staff, the Appeals Courts, the police and investigators, and the Almighty Supreme Court. The one aspect of the murder that was never discussed was the motive for the crime, assuming Roger was the murderer? Well written and worth the read.

This is an excellent book. You feel compassion for Roger Coleman as the wheels of justice turn ever so slowly, while keeping in mind that a brutal crime has been committed by someone, maybe Roger himself. I came away feeling an innocent man was wronged, but am less harsh toward the "system" as I am toward Roger's incompetent legal defense.

Capital punishment is bound to get people riled up on both sides of the issue. Try and leave your political leanings aside as you read this. Focus only on the case and how it's handled. Similar to "Mean Justice" (very good as well), I was more struck by the mistakes that happen early on in a trial that ultimately take you to the unfortunate conclusion. Things spiral out of control and good people can't make the difference.

I recommend this book highly. It's a troubling but necessary tale to tell.

I have come to expect fine writing from John Douglas and his latest offering is no exception. His ability to tell a good story while educating the reader is second to none and sets Mr. Douglas apart from other authors in the true crime genre. There is a sincerity to his efforts that is refreshing and makes each case study come alive. You almost feel as though he is sitting with you, telling what really happened. His sympathy and care for the victims and their families is apparent throughout, as well. Stellar job, Mr. Douglas. Bravo.

I have been a huge fan of John Douglas' career and books. In this latest book he focuses his attention and uses his professional profiling expereince to analyze one case. In Anyone You Want Me To Be, the reader doesn't just get the facts of the case but it is told from an entirely different perspective, that of a profiler. From the title of the book one may think the character is fictious, but this story is very true. Mr. Douglas takes us into the mind of John Robinson and explains how one man used the Internet to manipulate and control women for his own personal gain. He also tells us how we can protect ourselves from predators on the Internet. A true page turner.

I have read John Douglas' books in the past and have found them to be very engaging and informative. I was happy to find that this book was no exception. Mr. Douglas has an amazing ability to write about highly technical and scientific things that a layperson can read and understand. It is great to read true crime books without getting bogged down in all of the information that is necessary to give the reader. Mr. Douglas allows the reader to feel as if they are right there with him, as he goes through the case. Mr. Douglas' personality and compassion come through in his writing. It is heartwarming to see how involved he gets with the victim's families. He does outstanding work and I am waiting for him to receive the recognition he deserves. He is a true mindhunter!

Galbraith paints a picture of the episodes of financial euphoria that allow one to see the seeds of the next bubble being planted. What Galbraith points out are the common themes of market bubbles. In the end, the same script is run as we hear that "this time is different" Although published in 1990, this reads like an epilogue to the tech/internet bubble of 1999-2000. The old saying goes that "what we learn from history is that we do not learn from history." Galbraith gives us the tools to learn from history. In an age of books like "Dow 36,000" and other mania induced work, this classic is a reality touchstone for all serious, sophisticated investors - individual and institutional alike. I would rate this book as a **********, but am limited to ***** (5 stars).

Reading about the history of speculation is a way to broaden one's critical views of investing. Galbraith presents the material in an entertaining way and doesn't oversell the important points he makes about mass psychology and market reform. His self-deprecatory moments are very engaging indeed. I would go so far as to suggest that this book should be required reading for any investor.

IN THIS SMALL but witty and well-crafted book, Galbraith chronicles the major speculative episodes, from the seventeenth-century tulipmania to the junk-bond follies of the eighties. The book was first published in 1990 and thus the recent dotcom-bubble burst is not covered. Nevertheless, the Harvard professor's book is still worth reading. A reason is that he claims to have identified common patterns in the history of financial euphoria. 'In small ways the history of the great speculative boom and its aftermath does change. Much, much more remains the same', he predicts.

The perennial features are these. Some seemingly new and desirable artifact or development captures the financial imagination of a large number of people (say, group 1). The arrival of tulips in Western Europe, gold in Louisiana, the advent of joint-stock companies (corporations), real estate in Florida, or the economic designs of Reagan are all examples. The price of the object of speculation goes up. The object when bought today is worth more tomorrow. This attracts new buyers and assures a further price increase. Those in group 1 are persuaded that the new price-enhancing circumstance is under control, and expect the market to stay up and go up, perhaps indefinitely. The individual or institution that discovered the novelty (in group 2) is thought to be ahead of the mob. Fewer in number, individuals of group 2 perceive the speculative mood of the moment, try to get the maximum reward from the increase as it continues, and plan to be out before the eventual crash. The affluence of group 2 is wrongly associated, by group 1, with a miraculous financial genius. When something triggers the ultimate reversal, group 2 decides now is time to get out. Group 1 finds its illusion abruptly destroyed. Both groups sell or try to sell. The market collapses.

Galbraith observes that, in this process, 'speculation buys up the intelligence of those involved'. The crowd converts the individual in group 1 from possessing reasonable good sense to stupidity. Those in group 2 also make errors of vanity by thinking they will beat the speculative game. It seems that 'all people are most credulous when they are most happy'. Reputable public and financial opinion reinforces euphoria by condemning those who express doubt or dissent by warning of a crash. The celebrated Yale economist Irving Fisher, for instance, spoke out sharply against Roger Babson, who foresaw the crash of 1929. But the critic must wait until after the crash for any approval, Galbraith laments.

Despite the fact that common features in speculative episodes recur, history counts little because a financial disaster is quickly forgotten by a new, self-confident generation. Something is perceived as a financial novelty merely because the financial memory is short: 'financial operations do not lend themselves to innovation'. Insightfully, Galbraith notices that all financial innovation involves the creation of debt leveraged against more limited assets. This is the case of banks, whose debt is leveraged on a given volume of hard cash. This is also the case of the holding companies created in the 1920s, whose stockholders issued bonds and preferred stock to buy other stocks. And this is the case, too, of the junk bonds of the mergers-and-acquisitions mania in the 1980s, when high-risk, higher-interest bonds were issued in greater volume against the credit of the companies being taken over. As Galbraith puts it: 'the world of finance hails the invention of the wheel over and over again, often in a slightly more unstable version'.

However a crisis may strike at any moment whenever a debt is perceived to become dangerously out of scale in relation to the underlying means of payment. After the crash, group 1 expresses anger against the 'financial genius' of group 2. 'Financial genius is before the fall', Galbraith prophesies. Group 1 finally realizes that having more money may mean that a person in group 2 is indifferent to moral constraints. Group 2 could have even gone beyond the law, as far as leverage is concerned. Incarceration of some individuals of group 2 may follow. Leverage is seen as morally disputable at last.

Talks of regulation and reform follow. However, the speculation itself or the aberrant optimism that lay behind it will not be discussed. 'Nothing is more remarkable than this: in the aftermath of speculation, the reality will be all but ignored.' Why? Because it is easier for group 1 to blame one individual or a few individuals in group 2 than to take responsibility for its own widespread naivety. And also because there is a need to find a cause for the crash that is external to the market itself. After all, the market is believed to be 'a neutral and accurate reflection of external influences; it is not supposed to be subject to an inherent and internal dynamic of error'. The deficit in the federal budget was, for instance, blamed for the 1987 crash. Another anecdotal account of Black Monday has been that the crash was caused by portfolio insurance computer programs which sold stocks as the market went lower.

Galbraith's book is compulsory reading for economists, especially those working on behavioural finance or econophysics. Being an antidote to illusory financial euphoria, the book is thus of interest to the general public as well. Galbraith's own sense of déjà vu towards speculative financial bubbles enabled him to predict the crash of 19 October 1987. People really seem to be intrinsically unable to prevent getting stuck in the error-prone dynamics of bull markets, as in his 'bubble story'. But perhaps they have already learned some minor lessons on how to better protect themselves in the aftermath of crashes. Indeed despite the fact that the Black Monday crash was nearly twice as severe as the stock market collapse of 1929, it did not trigger a depression. Likewise the internet-bubble burst of 2000 had a surprisingly modest effect on wealth. Will we finally learn to learn from history?

Your America may be a bit different from LeAlan Jones's and Lioyd Newman's...welcome to theirs. These young men bring you into their community were you find yourself laughing at time and then wanting to reach out and save them. This reading is not sugar coated...your heart will break. LeAlan and Lloyd have used thier power to speak, listen to what they have to say! Then you will be blessed with John Brook, the talented young photographer whose images grace these pages of this outstanding book.

I have great respect for these men in this book for they are our future. Chicago, my home, is a better please because of these talented men...Continue to speak with your mighty voices.

Though I was required to read this book for a course I took, and therefore supposed to be reading and analyzing it over a week's time, I found myself reading the entire book in one sitting. This book shows the unfamiliar reader what poverty really is, how it thinks, acts, looks like, and feels from the words and experiences of children. LeAlan and Lloyd are children growing up in a very adult world, and one is reminded just how young they actually are when you listen to the recordings of their initial broadcasts. Knowing that they and their families are real people, how can you read this book and feel nothing? The tragic part is, those who most need their eyes opened to the state of poverty and violence in our nation will most likely never read this book. For those of us who do, may your eyes be a little wider, your heart a little deeper, and your spirit be called to action.

"Our America" was assigned reading for my course in Child Social Policy. It grabbed me from page one and I could not put it down until it was through (and then I read parts over again). LeAlan and Lloyd walk you down the streets of Chicago and let you have a little peek into their reality -- a world where violence and death are a part of every day life, and instead of focusing on grades in school, children must worry about survival. These young men represent so many children with talents and dreams and potential who are raised in an infertile, even poisonous environment. I wish everyone would read this book and realize that "America" shouldn't change when you cross the tracks.

Maxwell is a former minister and the founder of a company that offers support services to religious organizations. As such, his book's upbeat, you can do it tone may be off-putting to some. But there's some interesting stuff here and the real life examples he uses of people of have learned from failure provide some good hands-on advice. The book is organized into 15 steps that will help us make the most out of a failure. These are designed to help us 'fail forward.' Some of them include: find the benefit in every bad experience; work on the weaknesses that weaken you; change your response to failure by accepting responsibility. There's not a lot of analysis or depth to Maxwell's observations, but there's enough here in the way of examples to ground his practical observations to make this a useful motivational book.

Failing Forward is one of the best stallbusting books I have ever read! It focuses on how to handle our emotions when things aren't matching up to our expectations. Dr. Maxwell identifies dozens of stalls that delay progress for those who are experiencing setbacks in their lives.

While most people see setbacks as a negative, Dr. Maxwell points out that there is an important lesson that we can use to accomplish more in the future. Building on that appropriate and valuable perspective, Failing Forward postulates 15 principles that can help you apply the lesson.

Each chapter covers a separate principle and is filled with self-diagnostic questions, as well as heart-warming examples of how people went from apparent failure towards great success.

The work is very consistent with the philosophy of Anthony Robbins. If you are a Robbins fan, you will find this book to be a good complement to Unleash the Power Within.

I strongly recommend that you read this book, and reread it the next time you are feeling sorry for yourself or have a setback. If you care about others, be prepared to loan your copy to the next person who looks morose after having a problem.

Dr. Maxwell also offers a self-diagnostic test on the book's Web site (www.failingforward.com). I took that test and found it helpful to cement my understanding of the book. I recommend that you do this as well.

Unlike most books about self-improvement that are scaled to a level of sophistication, this book should appeal both to those with lots of experience and education as well as those who have yet to develop those perspectives.

The only people who will be confused will be those who have yet to experience any significant setbacks. They will wonder what all the fuss is about. To fill in that point, progress is seldom smooth. It usually looks more like 1 or 2 steps forward, and them some backward. In essence, we are talking about a zig-zag, even when things go well. At other times, the zig-zag can be downward.

Many of us dislike failures and mistakes. We will try to avoid them because we are afraid to be labeled as losers. However, this book tells us there is no perfectionist on earth, as long as you are human being, you would make mistakes. Those mistakes will guide you the way to success if you are to learn from them. The difference between average and achieving people is their perception and response to failure.

This books provide us with 15 steps to failing forward. You are going to overcome adversity and maximize your potential if you follow these steps.

Moreover, Maxwell gives readers a lot of real life experience examples to demonstrate how successful people response to adversity and handle it.

This book is highly recommended.

Bram Stoker's "DRACULA" is definitely THE GOTHIC NOVEL. I read Stoker's novel for a course on Gothic Literature and still think it is one of the best books I have ever read. So the rambling by Renfield was a little over-wrought and confusing and sort of slowed the story down a bit, so Mina's pontifications and "let's all love one another" ... could get a bit out of hand and annoying (though it is set in Victorian times, what do we expect??), BUT Stoker's book has alot of wonderful characters, suspense and tension to keep the reader going. I was reading it late at night in my room and when the curtains were blowing in my room, it made a sound which made me fear a vampiric bat was lying in wait of me outside, waiting for me to invite him in....shudder....A super book on alternative family/ blood ties, about good vs. evil, about love and lust, about the mysterious eastern European landscape and Vlad the Impaler, this romantic (in the old sense) book is a must read for all. ....

After having seen numerous treatments of the Dracula story, I wrongly assumed I new it pretty well. After stumbling through the first few chapters, I got the swing of its style. Mr. Stoker used a rather novel approach in creating this novel. The perspective of the story changes with each chapter. You read narrative from many different characters. Awkward at first, later it gives the impression of a balanced account of the events. It seems to make the events more believable. A note now forgotten by many is this was a "current" story when written. It was not a piece of colorful historical fiction.

The reader is not biased by the narrator's point of view. Anne Rice's "Interview with a Vampire" is told from Louis' perspective. That very story is given a different spin from Lestat in "The Vampire Lestat". With Dracula, all players are backing up everyone elses story. The chilling effect, is that it seems true. I was very pleased that a hundred year old story could hold such a grip on me. Actually, it was I that had the grip, a tight fisted one, on the book until I finished.

Although I'm not much of a horror fan, I decided to read Dracula since it was considered a classic and was hopefully pretty good. I'm glad I read it. It was a very interesting story. It wasn't what I was expecting. The whole novel is written as if you're reading someone's diary, telegram or news article. It starts with Jonathan Harker(a lawyer if I remember correctly) who is summoned to Count Dracula's castle to help Dracula obtain a home in London. He soon realizes Dracula is no ordinary man, but some kind of beast. This section takes about 1/4 of the book and then, after some deaths surrounded with unusual and frightening circumstances, Jonathan, along with some other interesting characters commit to not only prevent Dracula's move to London, but to kill him. This book was interesting in the fact that it was almost as if Dracula is not the main character of the novel, and I suppose in some ways, he's not. The book focuses much more on this group of people's attempts to hinder Dracula's actions and to cause his demise. Also, I liked reading the book and discovering the original story behind Dracula, not just all of the spoofs and parodies one sees today. I liked finding out that besides not liking garlic, crosses and sunlight, vampires also can't pass running water and can turn into wolves as well as bats. Although I can't say I was ever particularly scared reading this novel(probably because I don't really believe in vampires), I did find this novel to be very good, especially considering horror isn't one of the genres I'm particularly fond of. I definitely think it's worth picking up this book and reading it.

I love looking for new talent, and John is going to be around for a long time. This is his first book, and you'll want to get comfortable and delve into the gritty world of New York. As the author of "Grandma Online" I've met many authors, and this one has the tenacity and drive to entertain us book after book.

"Soft Case" by John Misak is the first book in a new detective series being offered to the many thousands of mystery lovers (like myself) in the world. A new series that will attract many many fans!

An entertaining tale about a bored homicide detective (Keegan) that craves a little excitement in his ever-growing dull life. Both in his personal life as well as on the job.

Finally, one day, the detective's prayer gets answered when a high profile case is thrown in his lap.

Software giant Ronald Mullens has been murdered and detective Keegan's life both on a personal leval as well as on the job shifts into high gear as he tries to contend with his over-zealous partner, fight off the media, and confront corruption which seems to not only know no end but it seems to go all the way to the top of the totempole.

"Soft Case" is no far-fetched detective story by any means it is fast-paced both in plot as well as dialogue and the characters are great, easy for the reader to relate to!

In my opinion, Mr. Misak has a real winner on his hands. A story that offers the reader thrilling suspense, a great plot and a ... fun way to spend an evening.

There is nothing like a well-crafted novel. Soft Case is written superbly, and it offers just the right level of excitement and humor. At one time, you will be angry, the next you'll be laughing, all the while trying to figure out what happens next.

All I can say is, if you like to be entertained, teased, and kept at the edge of your seat, Soft Case is for you. I can't wait until John Misak's next book, Time Stand Still, is released