Every member of the black community should read to books of poetry: this book, "Open Our Eyes" and "The Words Don't Fit in my Mouth", by Jessica Care Moore. These sisters have a lot to say. We need to listen. I would love to see these two perform together. Each piece is so real. As a black man, Nanci Clayton Thomas had my eyes wide open and after reading Jessica Care Moore, the words wouldn't fit in my mouth. This is some baaaad poetry. See for yourself.

"Open Our Eyes" is a poetry book filled with truth and power. It offers poignant reflections on the African-American's place in today's society. The poems are intense and absorbing. Nanci's poetry goes beyond the superficial blanket that many people tend to hide behind. The depth of the poetry will strike a chord in the souls of many. Nanci is truly a gifted writer who is using her talent to leave a legacy of hope for African Americans everywhere.

I bought this book from the author at Kroger grocery store in Atlanta. I followed this sister to her car. After asking if she was available, she said yes, for booksignings and poetry readings. She handed me a book, asked if I would buy one, smiled and said she wasn't available. I couldn't resist, eventhough I didn't believe her GI man was waiting for her in Dunwoody. I'm an Alpha man, so the Egyptians on the cover caught my eye. I bought it and couldn't put it down. This book, like the author, is beautiful, real, raw and funny! You will love it. Although I didn't get a phone number, I got a really great book.(SMILE) To that brother in Miami/Dunwoody whoever, wherever you are, you are lucky. No disrespect, Don't slip, cause somebody will grip. Seriously, the book is nothing but the truth. The words and art send a strong message.

I am a big fan of the mountains and the lifestyle and way of life it offers, so by some luck I happened upon this book from my mother who happens to know or knows someone who knows Jane Thomas one of the assemblers of the book. I received a signed copy of the book and enjoyed reading very much. Futher investigation lead to the fact that I am somehow related to Leroy Dudley so in a way I am somewhat partial to the book for that reason. However If you enjoy a folk tales or enjoy the mountains and what they have to offer you will be pleased with the tales in this book.

The turnout of reviews on this book is pathetic! Are you from Maine? Do you love Maine? Have you ever climbed Mt. Kathaden? Do you like Tall Tales? If you answer yes to one or more of these questions, this book is for you!!! READ IT! BUY IT NOW!

Public participation in public decisions has been an enduring theme promoted by both public administration scholars and practitioners, behind of which has been a fix belief in its positive impact on the quality and responsiveness of public decisions, implementation efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and its potential to unchain the power of public ideas and to develop a strong sense of civic engagement-a subsistence for broader and intense practice of democracy. Beginning with the Great Society legislations of the 1960s that required maximum feasible participation of communities in development projects, the sensibility in favor of a broader public participation has turned to be a mandate. Unorthodox public administration currents, including New Public Administration of the 1970s and 1980s, and New Public Management of the 1990s, have consistently called for broader and engaged public participation in the hope that broader public involvement would bring about wide-ranging benefits, some of which have been mentioned in the preceding lines.

Though fed by a religious-like persuasion, most of the early scholars in the trench of public participation neglected or failed in developing a contingency model of public participation that would help public managers to analyze the context of public participation so that a productive, engaged and distortion-free dialogue process accompanied by public participation could be planned and achieved. Deprived of a fully understanding of a productive public participation process, first public participation initiatives taken by public managers proved to be frustrating for both undertaking public agencies and aspiring community participants.

The book I am reviewing is really such one that comes up with a contingency framework for public participation that thoroughly inquires into "when and how" questions of public participation, with having a number of productive, well-crafted, and context-dependent strategies and recommendations.

Public Participation in Public Decisions is organized around ten major chapters. In the first three chapters of the book, Thomas (1995) gets readers to three points. First, the author criticizes the orthodox public administration theory due to its lack of enthusiasm for public participation; second, justifies the necessity for public participation with numerous reasons; and finally, points to the importance of finding a "practical" approach to public involvement for making it really work rather than keeping it as "rhetoric". From the fourth to the eight chapters, Thomas (1995) explains the important parameters in public participation process. The parameters point out the critical decision points as to when and how public administrators should involve citizens in public decisions. In the ninth chapter, Thomas (1995) pays attention to the new forms of public involvement including ombudspersons and action centers, co-production and volunteerism. The tenth chapter includes a summary view and concludes with some recommendations to the public administrators for them to be effective in the age of public participation and involvement.

The Effective Decision Model Thomas (1995) advances throughout the book rests on the organizational participation process developed by Vroom and Yetton (1973). Thomas (1995) proposes five options for decision making: (1) autocratic or autonomous decision-making, with no public involvement or influence; (2) modified autonomous public decision making in which the manager seeks information from segments of the public, but decides alone in a manner that may or may not reflect the group influence; (3) consultative decision making, with a limited but significant public role; (4) segmented public consultation in which the manager shares the problem separately with segments of the public, getting ideas and suggestions, then makes a decision that reflects group influence, and; (5) public decision making, with the extensive influence of a decision made jointly by the manager and the public (p. 39). To make the long shorter, two points are important. First, public participation does not suggest, all the time, direct and bodily involvement of public. Second, the influence of public increases as the public manager moves on from the first to the fifth option.

For the question of which decision-making option public managers should opt, Thomas (1995) develops mainly two parameters: the need for quality and the need for acceptability of a decision. In cases when the technical standards and requirements (quality) outweigh the acceptability of public decision by community, Thomas (1995) recommends some degree of public participation, otherwise, an increasing degree of public participation. In cases where the need for decision quality and decision acceptability are equally important, the author recommends a number of decision options to be used in combination. In addition to the two main parameters, there are a number of other questions that would help public managers to analyze the context, for example, such as the structure of the problem, composition of the relevant public, and conflict or agreement within the relevant public. Thomas (1995) draws so meticulously a framework out of his assessments contingent on the combination of different contextual circumstances that appear in the book as configurations.

I do not take all the "configurations" to the letter to presume the book as a cook-recipe, however, in the book's entirety, I sense them to be really helpful and thought provoking. I recommend patience before turning theoretical understandings into normative roadmaps. This book should encourage the reader to re-configure and re-interpret the parameters and contextual specifics in creative ways, and to add new ones.

Robert Denhardt, in his praise for Public Participation in Public Decisions, remarks that this book "sets the stage for a revitalization of democracy at the local level", and I agree with him. I believe only lamenting for democracy is not enough for making it work. Democracy needs not just a set of normative propositions and institutions but also a number of well-crafted strategies that address the context (see, i.e., Barber, 1984; Forester, 1989; Flyvbjerg, 1998) that would push democracy along. From this angle, Thomas' book is surely a treasure, not only for it demonstrates the challenges ahead but also for it comes with something that can be helpful for "helping" to decide what to do next.

I would highly recommend.

The CD comes with the book cost extra $15. It's not worth. It does not have any feature as cross reference and pronouniciation. Buyers have to go on line for these features and pay for the subscription. If you need features like those buy Webster's Medical Dictionary. They have better CD.

The Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary is probably the best medical dictionary that you can buy today. It is very definitive in it's defintions and the charts, illustrations, and pictures make this medical dictionary vey fun. Whether you are already a doctor or are a medical student this dictionary is an absolute must. When I started to show an interest in medicine this was my first medical book. Whenever you are watching or reading something that pertains to medicine and something comes up that you are not sure about, this dictionary will solve your problems. I do have one problem with this dictionary, however. The pages are very thin and rip easily. This is not a biggy but is still something that I'm not too crazy about.

This medical dictionary is the best of all other medical dictionaries that are out there today. I recommend this to a medical student, a doctor, or anybody that holds and interest in medicine. This dictionary is an absolute must. Be sure to check this dictionary out, it has valuable information.

Happy Reading!!!

Having taken a medical terminology class at the hospital where I work, I quizzed the instructor on a suitable medical dictionary in his opinion that I could use for my daily work needs. He suggested a few including this one. Next day in work, I was about to ask a few of the many people in my department what their preferences were but decided to take a stroll around the cubicles instead. Sure enough, nearly every cubicle I passed, held a copy of this dictionary. After purchasing a copy, I wasn't surprised to see why. The book is very easy to follow and understand so, if you find yourself in need of this subject, I'd definitely recommend Taber's.

A few pages into this literary classic and one might be tempted to put this novel down in search of less challenging fare. Beginning with an in-depth description of the main character Gustav Aschenbach, the story follows Aschenbach's degeneration from respected moral beacon to a obsessed stalker. After being struck with wonderlust by the sight of a roughened traveller, Aschenbach, a man who has never let himself be free of his own internal discipline, is driven by some inner need to travel to Venice. Once he arrives, Aschenbach begins to loosen decades of emotional repression as he allows his aesthetic appreciation of a fellow vacationer, a young sickly boy, Tadzio, to grow into a lustful obsession. Tadzio's beauty so captures Aschenbach that he ends up dying for his love, as his need to be near the young boy becomes his all-consuming priority. The subject will strike many readers as sickening as we read of a man's lust for a pre-pubescent boy, yet one can appreaciate Mann's remarkable ability with the written word, and the realism he creates as we delve into Aschenbach's mind.

Death in Venice is one of the most moving works of fiction I have ever read in my life, and it is also a story that I never tire of reading. There is a haunting, dream-like quality to the tale itself, reinforced by the almost hypnotic prose brilliantly deployed by Thomas Mann. On the surface, it would seem to be a sordid story about a middle-aged man's tragic infatuation for a young boy, whilst on holiday in Venice. On reading it however, it becomes clear that it is not a story about homosexuality as such, but rather a profound consideration of the transcendent nature of beauty perceived by the senses. Yes, Gustav Von Ascherbach presents a tragic figure, chasing the object of his affections all over Venice. And, yes this infatuation also leads to his eventual doom. But, paradoxically, this new-found passion leads to his spiritual rebirth, as he realizes how beauty not only gives meaning to his art, but also to his own life. His love for Tadzio is a pure love. Through Tadzio he is being reconciled with himself, and his own sensual nature, after a lifetime of restraint and relentless self-discipline. So,for me, the underlying theme of this magnificent story is that "love really does conquer all" Please read it- you will be hooked for life!

Thomas Mann was inspired to write Death in Venice after seeing the composer Gustav Mahler break down in tears on the train departing Venice. Mann, like James Joyce, had the rare ability to create a character of deep psychological subtlety whose thoughts and experiences transcend the superficial and the immediate, but become part of a deep and lasting identity with the spiritual and the everlasting. The beautiful city of Venice will be forever identified with Gustav van Aschenbach just as Dublin will always belong to Leopold Bloom. The beauty of this book is hard to express in words - it is word perfect! I suggest that anyone who has not read it has missed out on a deep and joyful experience. It is one of our departing millennium's greatest works of fiction. The brilliant Italian director Visconti (on a par with Fellini, in my opinion) made a film worthy of the book in 1970. When Dirk Bogarde (von Aschenbach asked him about a script, Visconti told him the book was the script- and to read it over and over again. At the commencement of filming he asked the actor how many times he had read it. Bogarde said "about 30 times". Visconti replied that he should read it another 30! The film is brilliantly decadent and melancholic, and captures the essence of the book to the Nth degree. (It was made on a shoestring budget, with the leading actress not being paid and Bogarde working for peanuts. As a work of art it towers over the profligate Titanic). Anyone visiting Venice should read this masterly work and view the film beforehand. Then I would recommend a visit to the Venice Lido (a ferry ride across the lagoon from St Mark's Square) and visit Hotel des Bains. Then walk the beach, Mann's novella in hand, and take a sample of Aschenbach's sand home with you. Then keep reading Death in Venice in honour of Mann and Visconti. What a joy!

This is the most misleading title ever. The book promises to help you resore your intimacy. For someone suffering from depression and looking for a way to fix their diminished sexual desire, this book is a cruel joke with nothing more to say than "Talk to your doctor about it".

You can save yourself a lot of time and money if you already know the basics about depression and its effects on your life. This book offers absolutely no solutions, just platitudes!

I would have given it zero stars, but Amazon didn't give me that option.

This book was easy to read and helped me understand more about the side effects of medication and the impact depression can have on relationships. I liked reading the questions/answers that were provided but I wish there were more tips on how to maintain my relationship through my depression. I would recommend this to someone who wants more of an overview/clinical view on depression. For those of you who want tips on how to strengthen your relationship, look elsewhere...

This book is a godsend. I am struggling with a husband who is depressed and this is the first book I found that addressed the problems of intimacy when a spouse is depressed. The panel of experts gave thoughtful and helpful answers. Most of all, it was hopeful and reassuring to know that I am not alone.

Good software engineers are hard to find. Unfortunatly for us, the author could not find one to implement this CD-ROM dictionary.

Only a small subset of the words are actually available with audio pronunciations--most are not. The interface does not conform to standard Windows user interface conventions so even simple tasks like copy and paste are difficult to perform. It does not seem to allow me to paste a word into the "find box"--I have to manually type the word I want to look-up. Also, it does not offer a convenient method to look-up a word that is used in one of its definitions--all enteries must be typed manually.

The dictionary on CD-ROM is a good idea and audio pronunciations would be great, but I'm going back to my paper dictionary until I find a well designed CD-ROM implementation.

I recently bought the Taber's CD version, and although it lacks some features that I wish it had, I am satisfied over-all. The cut and paste function must be done using CNTRL+ C to copy and CNTRL + V to paste, or by pushing the "copy" button on the definitions pages. There is no "paste" button. The interface isn't as intuitive as some software I've used, but if you read the instructions that come with the CD it makes more sense than trying to figure it out. It has a powerful search tool, animated illustrations, and video. As an editor, most of my work is already on the computer, so using the CD version, despite its imperfections, beats going to the shelf and leafing through the book anyday.

Hi I just wanted to comment on your Intro to Hosptality book. I am a college student using this book I also work in the hospitality field and most of the materials and questions given on tests doesn't happen in the "real world" I find that this book doesn't comply with the day to day activity of the hospitality field and the stuff we learn in class is suppost to help us when we get out of school however this learning material doesn't I am not saying this book is porely written just the material in this book is very vague and doesn't go with the things we learn on the job. For example a question on one of the test it asks To meet the competition, upscale restaurants are likey to emphasize on ? your anwser was discounts for people over 65 and another anwser was service. Upscale resturants rely on SERVICE the better the service, the more likey the people will come back! It doesn't matter if your 65 or 25. That was just one example. The whole book has misleading questions that isn't the way the hospitality feild is. And I just figure the whole point of going to school is once you leave the class is to take what you have learned and apply it to every day activity in your hospitality feild. And this book doesn't do that I think this was a waste of my money! I spent about 65 dollars on a book that was useless! I don't mean to be so critical but I pay for school my self and working full time and being a full time student I try to get everything out of my classes I can and get my moneys worth. And this being a required class it doesn't measure up to par and this is not only my opinion but my fellow class mates also.