Minding the Machines reminds us of one crucial fact: technological disasters are almost always the result of human error. But the flip side of this truism offers hope: humans learn from their mistakes, and technological disasters can be prevented. Evan and Manion, both professors in Pennsylvania, study a number of key technological disasters spanning the twentieth century-from the sinking of the Titanic to the poison gas release at Bhopal. The result is Minding the Machines: a systematic analysis of technological risk.

In each case study of technological disaster, the authors go straight to the heart of the problem: human error. Evan and Manion rightly recognize that "technological disasters are failures of sociotechnical systems." In other words, technologies are human creations, and therefore the root causes of technological disasters should be sought in the human systems that gave rise to the technologies in the first place. Once the causes are isolated, future solutions can be developed. But only at the social, economic, and political levels can acceptable solutions to technological risk be generated. To prevent future disasters, we must mind the machines; the machines will not mind themselves.

The pace of the book is slowed somewhat by the exhaustive analysis to which academics are prone. Yet the diligent reader is rewarded. The case studies of the Titanic, Challenger, and Three Mile Island disasters make for fascinating, if sometimes morbid, reading. The meat of the book can be found in chapters five ("The Root Causes of Technological Disasters"), eleven ("The Role of Corporations in the Management of Technological Disasters"), thirteen ("Assessing the Risks of Technology"), and fourteen ("Technological Decisions and the Democratic Process"). With these four chapters alone, Minding the Machines may prove invaluable for those in industry and government who want to better understand how a little prevention can be worth billions in cure-not to mention saved lives.

[This review is modified from my original review of Minding the Machines, Colorado Springs Business Journal, 12 July 2002]

The enormous technological advances of our time bring with them great vulnerabilities. Things break down, people screw up. This has always been so, but now the very power and scope and pervasiveness of our devices and systems give leverage to the breakdowns and screwups. Cost-saving refusal to install an $11 part in the Ford Pinto cost 500-900 lives, untold injuries, and $137 million in damages. Miscommunication among pilots and traffic controllers, and mismanagement of stressful demands on pilots, resulted in 587 dead, 57 injured, and $110 million in property and damage costs in the Tenerife runway collision. Chernobyl, Bhopal, asbestos poisoning, the list goes on.

Unlike natural disasters, technological disasters are predictable and preventable - but only if we recognize the new vulnerabilities and risks inherent in technological advances and effectively neutralize them. For that, it is essential that we learn from those man-made disasters that have already occurred. Evan and Manion have analyzed a wide range of technological disasters to their root causes, and describe how they can be prevented by appropriate training and action by scientists and engineers, by corporate executives and managers, by administrators of government agencies, by legislators, by academics like themselves, and by the general public. Here we have the example of the Year 2000 problem. Many believe this was overblown because it came to nothing. But it had so little effect because corporations and governments world wide spent more than $600 billion to avert it, aided by teams of engineers and scientists, largely from the US.

We also have the example of September 11. With the likelihood of terrorists exploiting the vulnerabilities in the technologies on which we increasingly depend, it is vital that we understand and act upon the very important work that Evan and Manion have done for us here. Executives and shareholders will be especially interested in how a corporation can avoid causing a technological disaster, with its potentially crippling costs - while by the same means being an exemplary corporate citizen.

The book is thorough, well documented, and easy to read. Every page is an eye opener.

Evans' and Manion's Minding the Machines is one of the most accessible and readable texts I have seen in an area known for its significant obscurity and evasion. While its wealth of case study information makes a welcome addition to any philosopher's or engineer's library, its topic of preventing technological disasters is a contemporary must-think for layman or "expert." I highly recommend it.

This is an excellent book for those who are looking for a guide for whalewatching. But it is more technical than the average, which is good in some cases. FOr me it was very useful when going to sea, because I wanted detailed information, but other people look only for pictures. Which is the only problem here, because they are all in black and white.

This manual contains the technical information necessary for distinguishing similar species at sea. Numerous black-and-white photos show all important field characteristics. Detailed analysis of the field characteristics separating the various large Balaenopterids is especially useful. Species which have been recorded as accidental are also included. Updating information about the presence of Hyperoodon (or Indopacetus??) in Pacific waters near the equator would be useful, although photos of 'unidentified' Ziphidae are included. This is the only book I take out with me for field cruises.

Bravo!! "The Letter" concludes the love story of David and Maryanne Parkin. You must read "The Christmas Box" and "Timepiece", to capture the entire story. Set in the 1930's, Evans did a wonderful job portraying this era. The events, the characters, the places, all well written. This series is one of the best I have ever read. David Parkin is a incredible man. Maryanne is a wonderful, understanding, loving person. Together through their loss of their daughter, Andrea, their lives go in different directions. David sets off on a journey to find answers. As he was abandoned by his mother at six years old, his feelings always haunted him. When Andrea dies, he virtually relives the same feelings, even worse, only this time shutting out Maryanne from his heart. Maryanne makes a major decision that will break your heart. Their love for each is so strong and real, you can feel it just by reading this love story. I can't leave out the characters of Catherine and Lawrence as well. Their part through-out the series is very touching and two very dedicated friends to the Parkins. The ending was incredible. I won't say how it ends but only that I wasn't expecting it and I had to have a box of tissues. As Evans bids farewell to the lives of David and Maryanne, so do I. It was an incredible love story. Don't pass this series up.

This is one of the best books ever written. It was an upliftment & encouragement. David Parkin is a good example (of a husband, father, man, friend, employer, & person) that more people need to follow. We could use more people like him. I hope heaven is filled with people like him, rather than churchy, selfish, judgmental people. Don't get me wrong - church is good & essential. But I'd rather have people like him in heaven with me. I love David Parkin. The only thing that saddens me is that he is only fictional. But perhaps Richard Paul Evans is the same type of man that David Parkin is - and Richard's real! This is truly one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I have read all three books in the series in the correct order, and this final book is the best. I just cannot say how beautiful & lovely it is. God must have been holding Richard's hand as he wrote it.

The Letter is a great conclusion to a wonderful series of books. If you read "Timepiece" and "The Christmas Box", you must read "The Letter". This book was a little slow in the middle, but keep with it. However, the ending packed a powerful punch. Again, I cried. I fell in love with David and Mary Ann Parkin all over again.

Richard Paul Evans is a gifted writer. I hope he writes more books like this one.

"The Quotable Conservative" is a collection of quotations from 200 conservative stars arising from many traditions, from ancient philosophers to modern talk show hosts. Many sources are well known, others less so, but all have something worthwhile to say.

Most of the quotations consist of only one paragraph, but many are longer and delve into their subjects more deeply.

Whether you are looking for a witty retort to leaven your speech, or a thoughtful discourse to challenge your mind, you can find it in "The Quotable Conservative." It is a stimulating book for the thinking conservative.

There are two books entitled "The Quotable Conservative."

The other one, compiled by Bill Adler, includes many lightweight one-liners and clever quips of conservatives in its 150 pages. It is weighted towards the quotations of politicians and other political practicioners.

This book is richer and deeper. While it includes some of the quotations found in Adler's book, its 260 pages reach beyond politics, and often include whole paragraphs of thoughtful prose from their source. Here, the thinking conservative will find important ideas from philosophers and fine commentators ranging from Aristotle and Acton to Tyrell and Sowell, from Adams and Bastiat to Will and Williams.

Both books are nicely-sized 6" X 6" formats, and both are worthwhile acquisitions. However if the fiscally conservative reader wishes to buy only one book of conservative quotations, this is the one.

I've had this book for a couple of years and find myself going back to it freqently. It includes great treasures of wit, wisdom, and inspiration. Too often today we forget the thoughtfulness of our forefathers. Too bad tlv106@aol.com from Tampa, Florida thinks this wisdom is "corporate America propaganda."

What would you do if you fell in love with the wrong person? Well Romeo and Juliet are in this same situation. The scene is set in Verona where two household families share the same social status. From the birth of these two enemies come Romeo and Juliet....P>This book was amazing. Once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down. I felt as if I wanted to get in the story and try to fix all their problems. Shakespeare is a creative writer. He put in true life problems that teenagers deal with today. Shakespeare taught me never to give up and to accomplish my goals. In this book, Romeo and Juliet are not allowed to fall in love. Their parents band them from seeing each other and they wouldn't allow them to following their hearts. But they did it anyway. This book taught me to follow what I believe in and to think for myself, not to listen to what other people want me to do. If I did, then my life would have been miserable. The only thing I didn't like with this book was that it was so hard to understand because it was written in Old English.

I recommend the book, Romeo and Juliet, to anyone who loves to read tragic love stories, who is interested in reading Shakespeare's writings, or who is interested in reading an outstanding book.

I have seen all movie versions about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and still love the book everytime I revisit the story. Every word captivates the reader into truly feeling the passion and tragedy of these two lovers. Even a character such as Tybalt Capulet won me over as far as description goes. Shakespearian writing is very much complex and confusing but it has a touch romance and anger which adds to the emotion of the story. Read this classic tragedy!

I have seen plenty of time the story about Romeo and Juliet and it still captures me.The way all the characters express themselves,the way Shakespear combines hate and love in the same story.It tells you how much two peple can really love each other and they gave up their lifes for their love.
The character I liked most is Tybalt, because I feel reflected. The way he acts, the way he feels towards the Montagues and the most important the way he expresses himself.I won't summarize the plot, as it is one of the best-known tales in all literature, and deservedly so. Being a classic, it can be read from different perspectives and standpoints.
Shakespearian writing is very much complex and confusing but it has a touch romance and anger which adds to the emotion of the story.Read this classic tragedy!

Shakespeare portrays King Richard III as a hunchbacked thoroughly evil man. While based upon the historical Richard III, the play is a dramatization. Although classed as a history, remember that Shakespeare's histories aren't historically accurate biographies. Richard is a power-hungry brother of a king who murders, schemes, marries, and plots to usurp the throne from rightful heirs. Richard gets his due when he meets Henry Tudor on the field of battle and the reign of the Yorkist kings comes to an end. Written under the rule of a Tudor monarch (Elizabeth I), the play paints the brutal Richard in an especially unfavorable light. After all, the rise of the Tudors depended upon the death of Richard III. The treatment of women in the play has been criticized, especially the speed under which Anne accepts Richard III -- with her dead father in law in the scene, no less. The play compresses 14 years or so of real history into 5 acts. It is hard to go wrong with Shakespeare. A good but dark read.

Let's get one thing clear from the start: when I rate Shakespeare, I rate it against other Shakespeare; otherwise, the consistently high ratings would not be very informative. If I was rating this against the general run of literature available, it would unquestionably rate 5 stars.

So what brings it down to 4, as compared to other Shakespeare? Primarily a few places where it demands a bit too much suspension of disbelief; the language is some of Shakespeare's best, and is comparatively easy for a modern reader (I found most of the footnotes to be sufficiently unnecessary to be actually more distraction than help). But for one thing, if Richard is withered, hunchbacked, and deformed, how is it that he has been able to kill so many of his victims in battle? For another thing, is it REALLY plausible that Princess Anne would be persuaded as she was by someone with nothing more going for him than Richard? To paraphrase the scene,

Anne: You killed my husband and his father! I hate you I hate you I hate you!

Richard: But I only did it 'cause I'm hot for you, babe! Wanna marry me?

Anne: Welll...maybe. Let me think about it.

(And, in fact, she marries him. Just like that.)

Also, there are virtually NO characters in this play that are sympathetic, save perhaps for the two murdered children and Richmond, and we really don't see enough of them to feel much connection; it dilutes the effectiveness of the portrayal of Richard's evil when almost all of the other characters are, if not just as bad, certainly bad enough.

Richard III is the most well crafted satanic character in all of Shakespeare's writing. What can get frightening is that you see his evil, and yet you like him. The play is dramatically frightening from one scene to the next. To this day, I never could forget the scene where Hastings is sentenced to death or when Richard is haunted by the 11 ghosts. But the virtuous Henry VII also offers captivating passages (especially his passage that announces the end of the War of the Roses.) It is also interesting to see how carefully Shakespeare had to handle Henry VII, seing his granddaughter Elizabeth was in the audience. To be sure, Richard III is blamed for several things he did not do. The dramatic irony is that whatever he was innocent of, all the circumstancial evidence says he murdered his nephews.(Rumors that he killed them continued to spread like fire. Not only did he start losing England's loyalty, but many of his own followers in a rage abandoned him and joined Henry VII. France began to humiliate Richard by broadcasting official accusations and Richard never so much as denied having done it. If he could have produced the princes, his troubles would have been over.)This one vile deed made it possible for Shakespeare to make Richard this monster from hell and convincingly pile a slew of vile deeds upon him of which he was innocent. But all that aside, women such as Richard's furious mother and the raging former Queen Margaret add to the drama and chills. The gradual unfolding of Margaret's curses adds a charming orginizational bonus to this masterpiece. If you want to enjoy this play all the more, make sure you read "3 Henry VI" first. Richard's demonic nature is heavily prepared in this preceeding play.

It is just not well written, the quates were not dramatized more maximum effect.

"It is with books as with men: a very small number play a great part."
--- Voltaire

If you're a public speaker, speechwriter, student or just looking for some new catchy phrases, this book will definitely "play a great part." Full of great quotes (like the one above), jokes and sayings, AND I QUOTE covers almost every topic imaginable. From the traditional subjects of love, failure and wisdom to the modern issues of abortion, drugs and psychotherapy, this book has it all. And no matter what angle you're speaking from, you'll find an appropriate quote from the wide selection available.

The book is well organized and easy to navigate, which makes it an excellent reference. There are reference lists --- listed both alphabetically and by subject --- in the front of the book, which makes looking up quotes quick and easy. The book is divided into six main topics, which are divided further into subtopics and then into specific issues. Each separate issue has well-labeled sections of "quotes", "sayings" and "jokes".

However, the authors have included an added bonus: speech-writing tips! After all, what good is a book of quotes if you don't know how and when to use them? The introduction of AND I QUOTE highlights the dos and don'ts of public speaking and explains when quotes and jokes are appropriate. Even the most experienced speechwriter will find this section useful.

The only thing worse than losing your audience is never having one. AND I QUOTE will make sure that you not only grab your audience's attention, but keep it as well.

--- Reviewed by Melissa Brown

I send everyone in our office a quote of the day, and this book is my favorite out of all the books I have. It has just about everything you would ever want in it; quotes, jokes, sayings.... Its GREAT!

T. William Evans has written a novel that combines the terror of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood of 1889 with a wonderfully sweet love story of two young people. His story is full of well researched, historically accurate details of the area and the events that inevitably led to the horrendous flood. The romance of James, a young boy from a wealthy family and Mary, from a hard working family will touch your heart. The conversations between them alternate between realistic language and an extreme poetic nature which is a bit distracting. There also seems to be a switching back and forth of the story being told in a present tense and the past tense, which feels more like an editing problem than a writing detail. Even with those distractions, T. William Evans dramatic writing pulls you into the heart of the story and drags you along like a swift current. This book was very difficult to put down, you feel a need to stay with the characters and to know what is going to happen and how! Mr. Evans is a promising new author with the ability to grab and hold his audience.

T. William Evans has written a novel that combines the terror of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood of 1889 with a wonderfully sweet love story of two young people. His story is full of well researched, historically accurate details of the area and the events that inevitably led to the horrendous flood. The romance of James, a young boy from a wealthy family and Mary, from a hard working family will touch your heart. The conversations between them alternate between realistic language and an extreme poetic nature which is a bit distracting. There also seems to be a switching back and forth of the story being told in a present tense and the past tense, which feels more like an editing problem than a writing detail. Even with those distractions, T. William Evans dramatic writing pulls you into the heart of the story and drags you along like a swift current. This book was very difficult to put down, you feel a need to stay with the characters and to know what is going to happen and how!! Mr. Evans is a promising new author with the ability to grab and hold his audience.

I found this book very boring and tedious reading. The style of the book seems to vary as much as the number of authors. The concepts don't smoothly flow together. The book is a hodgepodge of technical information presented in patches by a huge bunch of authors. Obviously this book was an attempt to bring to market a book on XML as quickly as possible. The book doesn't provide enough examples or applications although it does present many examples on syntax. This may be a good reference book, but to really learn how to use XML I'm searching for another book.

Another excellent book by Wrox. Heed this books title "Professional XML". The strong point in this book for me was its in-depth DTD and WML coverage. I haven't found a book yet that describes WML as well, or at all for that matter.

I also plan on purchasing XSLT Reference Guide (also by Wrox) since this book doesn't go quite as far as I'd like into XSLT.

THIS IS MOST BORING BOOK I EVER READ

Well, I can not say that W.D. Howells was another Nathaniel Hawthorne. But what I can say is that his "The Rise of Silas Lapham" is A LOT better than some books that were made famous (probably for political reasons). Do not expect the superb images and construction of Hawthorne. But what we CAN expect is a timeless message about society. At first Silas is a rich money grubbing monster. (Just think of Dickens' Scrooge.) He finds ways to cut his friends out of deals, alienates his family with the want of more money, and even gets his wife upset. Ah, but later things go bad, and he starts losing money. This is when the human side of him begins to show and he becomes a very sympathetic character. In my opinion, to enjoy this even more, you must assume that before the book opens, he WAS a good and decent man. Once he ran into immense wealth, he grew detestable. So while, this is not exactly a masterpiece, the degeneration of Silas and his return to humanity is ample material to carry this book and place it in the American Museum of Literature.

This is a must read book and provides a glimpse of business morals in the nineteenth century. Read first, Mark Twain's "The Gilded Age" and Charles Dickens' "Martin Chuzzlewit". Silas' 'rise' is not ironic unless accumulation of wealth is your only value. While his monetary assets may shrink, his family 'prospers' in many ways. Clearly, Howells makes the point that honest work can bridge the gap of old rich and new. Commerce is not inherently bad, but it does ask the question, how far should one go in disclosure and protecting others from their potential investment folly.

I've had William Dean Howells' "A Modern Instance" and "The Rise of Silas Lapham," like many, many other books on my bookshelf for a long time. A recent meeting of a reading group of mine finally allowed me to make the time to read Howells' 1885 work, "Silas Lapham". I am extraordinarily glad I did. From the start of the novel, we are drawn into the world of late 19th century Boston, post-Reconstruction America, where newly rich industrialists attempt to enter the society life of old money. Howells crafts an extraordinarily realistic look at the American Dream gone awry.

"The Rise of Silas Lapham" begins with an interview that a local newspaperman is doing of Colonel Silas Lapham, a mineral paint tycoon. Lapham's account of his rise from the backwoods of Vermont to his marriage, to service in the Civil War, to his propagation of a successful mineral paint business is chronicled and gives us a taste of the effort and perseverance necessary for his rise, as well indicating the possibility of some potential failings, especially with regard to his one-time partner, Milton Rogers. We soon learn that Mrs. Persis Lapham aided a society woman in distress the year before, and the return of her son, Tom Corey, from Texas, signals another sort of ambition on the part of the Lapham daughters, Irene and her older sister Penelope. The rest of the novel plays out the ways in which the Laphams try to parley their financial success into social status - and how the Laphams are affected by the gambit.

Howells explores a number of significant cultural issues in "Silas Lapham": isolationism, social adaptability, economic solvency among all classes, personal integrity and familial ties, and the relationship between literature and life. The fact that the story is set about 20 or so years after the end of the American Civil War sets an important and subtle context that runs throughout the novel and inflects all of the thematic elements. The ways that the characters interact, the way that the society functions, even though the majority of the novel takes place in Boston, is importantly affected by the fact that Reconstruction is drawing to a close, Manifest Destiny is in full swing, and ultimately, America was at a point of still putting itself together and trying to view itself as the "United" States.

Howells' treatment of the social interactions between the industrially rich Laphams and the old moneyed Coreys underscores the difficulty in creating and maintaining a national identity, especially when the people even in one northern city seem so essentially different. The romance story involving the Laphams and Tom Corey is obviously an important element of the story, and Howells does an amazing job of not allowing the romance plot to become as overblown and ludicrously sentimental as the works of fiction he critiques in discussions of novels throughout his own work. "The Rise of Silas Lapham" questions the nature of relationships, how they begin, how they endure - the contrast between the married lives of the Coreys and the Laphams is worth noting, as is the family dynamic in both instances.

I'm very pleased to have gotten a chance to read this novel. Generally when I say an author or a work has been neglected, I mean that it's been neglected primarily by me. Having turned an eye now to Howells, I am very impressed with the depth of his characterization, the ways he puts scenery and backdrop to work for him, the scope of his literary allusions, and his historical consciousness. This is certainly a great American novel that more people should read. It may not be exciting, but it is involving, and that is always an excellent recommendation.