Well, since I've been on a bit of a 'systems' binge lately, I might as well review this old gem...

Checkland's book was the first to introduce the differentiation between 'soft' and 'hard' systems analysis. Soft analysis is much more akin to a general, somewhat philosophical approach to the methodology whereas hard analysis is the development of usable engineering models.

First off, this book is actually two books - the first is a fairly long paper that neatly sums up the systems approach over the 30 years it has been explored. The consensus? Things looked really promising at the beginning but unfortunately the approach simply got hung up on the very thing it was trying to escape: science's current preoccupation with reductionism. That is, the hard systems approach attracted the most attention and it quickly succumbed to the very trap it sought to escape starting with its use of rigidly-defined symbols right up to the detailed diddling with mathematical models that, similar to earlier approaches, did not model reality at all due to assumptions and oversimplification.

Checkland is much more interested in the soft approach and he consistently laments the fact that systems methodology is not being taught even though it holds so much promise to solving many of our pressing problems. The overview presses this point home and should be required reading for anyone in management or engineering.

The second section, the original book with a few revisions, is still very relevant. Checkland's focus, soft systems, never was given a chance given our preoccupation with reductionism. Given the recent failures of reductionism, particularly the genome-mapping fiasco, cast systems theory in new light.

Checkland starts out with an excellent overview of the history of science from a (mostly) philosophical perspective. This very readable overview leads directly into his discussion of the history and early development of systems theory. He then focuses on systems methodology (soft systems theory) with some general applications.

The approach is very readable and should be easily understood by anyone - in fact, Checkland stresses the importance of having a wide base of knowledge to help solve real-world problems and points out that much work has been done by people who 'migrated' from other fields. Smuts, one of the pioneers, was actually a politician and only wrote a systems book after losing an election...

It is unfortunate that there are no references to Robert Rosen here since his work, more of a 'hard' approach to systems theory, fully supports Checkland's ideas. In fact, there is a lot of material that should be included as 'backup' for why the systems approach is important as a new direction away from reductionism. Perlovsky's work in cybernetics, Jopling's recent work on self-knowledge, Prigogine's work in thermodynamics and even Kauffman's attempts in biology now point to hypotheses that are only compatible with a systems methodology.

This book, as mentioned above, should be required reading these days. Certainly for anyone contemplating management or engineering it is a very important reference. In fact, the book could basically be used in high-school with a bit of help from Weinberg's systems books. For those looking for more application-specific information I recommend von Bertalanffy's original, Rosen's work, and perhaps a side helping of Weinberg and Gharajedaghi for more ideas.

I don't have much to say that isn't up top. I liked the narrative device though it did seem to slip up now and than -- the story being told by a ghost who embodies different creatures or things. I also thought it a little odd that the boy learns to read so quickly. Hardly faults to think twice about though. It reminded me of a Merchant and Ivory picture with a kid instead and, perhaps, a little lighter.

An amazing novel, that combines tragedy and comedy, myth and realism, the childhood novel and the great love story, a small, incredibly Danish society, and the dream of the adventures of the wide world... A beautiful story, beautifully written, even in translation. Despite the complex structure and "difficult" language, it is hard not to get caught by Ib Michael's writing - This is, in my opinion, his best book so far.

This is an amazing love story. A young boy plays host to the ostensible narrator of the tale, a 'guardian angel' who turns out to be one of the parties in the story of a love lost and finally found again. It ranks as one of the most beautifully written stories I have ever read.

I didn't really like Smilla either so I am not sure why I even read this book. The jacket hails it as "gripping" and "disturbing", but I found myself wondering from page to page why Hoeg was taking himself so very seriously with his hit and miss philosophical discussions of time. I went through periods of thinking that he was hitting on something very profound, but in the end felt myself wading in pretty shallow waters. Not a total waste of time, however - some interesting characters and a pretty addictive plot. I was just put off by his rambling discussions of a topic that he should have either put a LOT more thought into, or left out completely

This is the first Hoeg book I have read. I do plan on reading more. The book had me captivated right from the beginning. The book follows three main characters, Peter, Katarina, and August. The group, as they become close start sharing feelings that they are a family despite the fact that forces within the school are trying to pull them apart. The three thus far have lead difficult lives, and though they're outsiders, they get to feel on the inside with eachother.

Being a kid brought up and bounced around from institution to institution is not easy, though Hoeg tackles the topic. We get to see their inside thoughts and feelings while at the same time we get to see how they make it through by pulling together to uncover the plot the school has set against them.

Though the book is engaging, it is no easy read covering complex topics. The book also jumps between time periods, some being present day while some being distant memories. I found the book readable in parts one and two, though when I got to part three, I found the book to become dry, concerning itself mainly with time. Hoeg, in my opinnion becomes to wordy covering mainy different historical thoughts and theories of time. Though relevant to the main characters, Hoeg gives just a little too much detail.

Danish author Peter Hoeg established himself with the masterful "History of Danish Dreams," a surreal, funny, haunting story that tweaked the boundaries of the real world. "Borderliners" is a bit like that, but starkly real and not very funny at all. it's haunting, surreal, and quite disturbing. Hoeg did a fantastic job with this.

They are the "borderliners": Children who don't fit in, be it for not being smart enough, for having difficulties with others, or just failing to slip into the slots that society has for them. Fourteen-year-old Peter has been in institutions of one sort or another all his life, partly because of his lack of "normality," and is now going to the creepy Biehl's Academy where the "borderline" children mingle with the privileged kids, in obsessively strict surroundings.

There, Peter encounters the wise orphan Katarina, who saw her parents both die -- her mother of cancer, stretching out every second of the last months of her life, and her grieving father, who tried to speed time up. And there's August, a strangely sinister child who harbors a dark secret in his past. The three grow closer, Peter falls for Katarina, and they begin struggling to break free of the strange experiments in social Darwinism being performed at the school.

Given the name of the lead character -- Peter Hoeg -- I can only assume that this is at least partly autobiographical. That may be why the book is so moving and personal-feeling. Like "Danish Dreams," this book contains a lot of surreal philosophy about time, about how people try to either use or avoid the passage of time. This occasionally stops the book dead, but if you can handle that then it won't be a problem.

The book is haunting and eerie, almost dreamlike. Hoeg doesn't overburden the story with too much detail. For example, when Peter and Katarina kiss for the first time, he doesn't describe it -- instead he describes the impact it has on Peter. And the dialogue is just as haunting: "What about the darkness inside people?" "The light will disperse it." "There's not that much light in the entire world."

I could tell that Peter comes from Hoeg's heart, because he's so vivid in his feelings and responses. Katarina is incredibly smart and cool-headed, with thoughts beyond her years; August is both appealing and frightening, since he can be lost or violent at any given time. The supporting characters are all vivid and well-drawn, whether they are bad or good. The Academy itself has an aura of almost horrific control, an amazingly well-written place.

Peter Hoeg is a master storyteller, and "Borderliners" is a book that stuck in my mind for days after I had read it. A creepy, beautifully-told story with wonderful characters.

Kindlon and Thompson have written an insightful study of what's going wrong (and right) with our boys. With middle-school shootings and spouse abuse headlining our newspapers, this is a must-read for every parent and teacher. Besides having academic credentials, the authors have much experience as fathers and as counselors in private practice and in schools. The book is peppered with lively anecdotes to illustrate their theories.

Because I had no brothers and therefore not much experience with boy-psychology, this book taught me a great deal about the culture of cruelty practiced by adolescent boys and why boys often brag, misuse girls, drink, and tease. The authors are not mere alarmists, however. They encourage us to provide safe, nurturing homes and classrooms for our boys, to help them understand feelings other than anger, resulting in sensitive, strong, and caring men.

As a colleague of Michael Thompson, co-author with Dan Kindlon of the forthcoming book Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys, I had the chance to read a pre-publication copy of the manuscript, and I recommend it highly. The book is well-written, engaging, informative, and thought-provoking. It is unusual for two pyschologists to write so well for the general public, without talking down to them and without being too academic. Raising Cain reviews the latest research about boys, gives rich and poignant anecdotes, offers a profound understanding of the depth of situation for boys in our society, and makes helpful suggestions for parents and teachers. Raising Cain covers a wide range of topics, from boys' emotional lives (the way they are untrained in reading and expressing emotions) to their early school years (which the authors refer to as "thorns among roses," referring to the way boys often fail to fit in or thrive in early elementary school) to the role of mothers (who try hard to stay connected to their sons in the face of overwhelming pressures on boys to separate) and the role of fathers (too often absent, at least emotionally, from the lives of sons). Another chapter discusses the fact that boys are more likely to be subjected to harsh discipline, and offers a variety of alternatives. There are also chapters on boys and romance, alcohol and drug use, depression and withdrawal. My favorite chapter, and the one that distinguishes this book from other recent books about boys, is on 'the culture of cruelty,' about what boys do to each other, espcially in early adolescence. Despite many efforts by paretns and educators, boys attack each other physically and emotionally, enforcing narrow definitions of masculinity and sexuality, leaving many boys scarred guarded, and lonely. The unique perspective of Raising Cain is that boys, for many reasons, impose these conditions on each other--it doesn't all come from the media or the broader culture. Several recent books have covered roughly similar territory, with a shared concern for the welfare of boys. Unlike Michael Gurian's book, Raising Cain rejects the idea that the 'boy-brain' is somehow ill-equipped to handle emotions. Though boys' biology does play a role, its contribution to boys clipped, withdrawn style is small compared to the role of socialization--boys are systematically pressured to shut down and shut others out. Unlike William Pollack's book, Raising Cain does not argue that mothers abandon their sons prematurely--rather, Kindlon and Thompson argue that the culture drives them apart, while most mothers strive mightily to stay connected, and keep trying even when they are confused and bewildered. Meanwhile, they describe boys having a 'hole in their soul' from their lack of a close emotional connection with men, starting with their fathers. I understand that Raising Cain will be available in early April--it is worth the wait.

I could easily rate this book 6 stars or more and cannot say enough about all the helpful insights it has to offer. I'm the mom of an 8 year old boy who's life is about to improve because I read this book. I consider myself an okay mother, but I am always open-minded about improving my parenting skills. The information I've learned by reading "Raising Cain" is incredibly enlightening, and so valuable to me I feel like I hit the jackpot. Anyone wanting to parent their son(s) better needs to read this book. I want to buy copies of it to pass around to a number of friends of mine who are raising boys, as well as several teachers I know who would appreciate this insightful material to help them in their classrooms. I've gotten involved with my son's school as a Parent-Teacher Organization "mom" not only to touch base with my son more often but also to reach out to students who might not get as much attention as they need in over-crowded classrooms, and this book is proving to be a valuable tool filled with information to help me be more effective in understanding the boys whose lives I can hopefully influence for the better.

This book is based on quite an interesting idea, and it would bring that across had it not been so badly written. For a fable it is trying to be too realistic, for a story it isn't trying to be realistic enough. I had quite a hard time believing several crucial points in the story, mostly due to the fact that Hoeg is telling me everything, never showing me anything so he can make me belive what I read. When I finally accepted (not believed, accepted) that Madalene was an alcoholic, I was led to believe that she could fight it (right after an almost delirium) in just a couple of days...sure. I also had a hard time believing her strange relationship with Adam, and I guess weird relationships do exist, but I was mostly annoyed by the fact that I should also believe that so many couples have never actually seen eachother naked, as in the end of the book everyone is in shock about the existence of the other apes. Some have even been able to make kids and not let their husband or wife notice that they were hairy all over. Quite an accomplishment I would say. I love a good plot, I love interesting ideas, like this one was, especially as they defend a principle, contain a moral theory, but I would like it to be brought across with some level of realism. Make me believe it could've happened. And I'm willing to believe in superintelligent apes. Even that you can fall in love with them. That was actually the most believable part, Madalene's love for Erasmus. Not enough for me to forget about the rest though.

Peter Hoeg throws a slew of themes at the reader (addiction, the divide between humans and animals, the nature of intelligence), but the book never really succeeds in engaging the reader. And the sympathy one feels for Erasmus (a well-drawn character) does not make interspecies romance palatable. "The Woman and the Ape" provides a lot of fodder for book club chatter, but it is not a pleasurable read.

Peter Hoeg is one of those rare writers -- whose every book is a literary treasure. I have yet to be disappointed by anything he has written. And this book -- the woman and the ape -- is not exception. Hoeg does such a masterful job at raising questions about our own species and our relationship to the Earth, that this book should be read by environmental studies students. Hoeg also entrances his readers -- once again -- with sensual writings, sensitive characters, and a magical air (as he did with Smilla's Sense of Snow), that this book should also be read in literary classes. ... simply: it is a book to be read. and shared.

The quality of this book is truly sub-par. There are virtually no areas of the book that stand out. It is a poorly structured, hashed-together book with little insight. There is a lot of fluff. Do not read this book.

Anyone who doesn't believe that marketing and emotional connections aren't the basis of modern business, probally still believes that Britney Spears has talent. It isn't about what you got anymore, it's about who you can inspire to believe you got something. And, if you want to call this shallow, be a cynic and dismiss the hype, go Vote for Ike. Times have changed, and while Larry isn't saying anything we haven't heard before, obviously the bellows of corporate spirituals still haven't hit the right notes (E-N-R-O-N). Our livespan has grown into one endless strip mall, and at the end is the only time when we turn around as see open plains. Until then, Larry is speaking truth and one cannot dismiss it and attempt to be successful, without understanding the importance of helping people believe that they have a welcoming place in this world, amist its mighty size and scope.

Ever hate an overbearing, autocratic boss because he made your life a living hell with his monomaniacal demands? Apparently so has Larry Weber, because he advocates a management philosophy that elevates cooperation over tyranny, results over ego gratification. People who categorically reject his philosophy cling to organizational principles that were obsolete in the 1960's. He should be commended for his courage to tell the truth.