A fascinating true story of how A 3 1/2 year old child was brutally abused and ultimatly murdered by his adopted mother, Lois Jurgens. You Will learn how her husband, family and friends were very aware of the abuse and did absolutly nothing to help this poor child. You will also read how the justice system and adoption agency failed to save Dennis. And the painful events for the natural mother, Jerry Sherwood and her family to get justice for her dead son. Very well written book that goes into the background of Lois and Harold Jurgens and how this evil women was able to adopt a total of 6 children (all which ran away and was removed from her home due to abuse). The book also gives a compelling account of the trial and finally the conviction of murder for Lois Jurgens, who almost for 22 years got away with it.

As a parent myself, I will never forget what happened to little Dennis Jurgens.

Karen, OHIO

I have lived in White Bear all of my life. My parents grew up there. We all attended classes in the "new" high school that is talked about. My aunt was in that school's first graduating class in 1965. I say this because, horrifying as the Dennis Jurgens case may be, it is not hard to see how it happened. Even today, it is a small community where most everybody knows everybody else. My family often attended holidays at the Zerwas home, and even today they find it hard to speak ill of Lois. This book does a wonderful job of telling what so many people have been trying to keep quiet for so many years. This is a story that needs to be told in order to make sure that it never happens to another child. Siegel does an excellent job of projecting the difficulty of following up a 20 year old crime that nobody would admit was committed. This is a powerful story that will make you look at child abuse in a whole new way.

A stellar performance on the part of Barry Siegel and Peter Borland. The detail, history, and character development are exquisitely attended and because of that the writer's talent has created a smooth and clear and compelling flow of the story, when it could have been quite muddled. I am a voracious reader and prefer nonfiction to fiction. This is one of the best. Thanks, Mr. Siegel. More. More. Do it again!

In his new book, Dr. Jaksa outlines practical ideas to help parents understand the importance of building a strong foundation for their children. He uses humor mixed with specifics to make such statements as, "An assertive parent is not a dictator, marshmallow or guilt monger," or "Don't expect the same things at different ages." This is a great gift for new and "evolving" parents alike!

Peter Jaksa has written a book that, as a father of three young children, I found deeply comforting as well as helpful. Dr. Jaksa obviously loves his subject--parents, children, and families--and he pretends to nothing more than he delivers: solid, sensible advice mixed with humor, warmth, wisdom, and optimism. I am also a child psychiatrist, and from a professional standpoint, this book is also first rate. Read it, enjoy it, learn from it, and return to it when you need to.

Peter Jaksa is a very tuned-in, sensitive, practical therapist who provides a well-organized, highly readable book for parents who are struggling to make sense of parenting issues and family issues in this complex, difficult social environment of the late twentieth century. Dr. Jaksa charts a course for parents that gives hope and direction.

Don't be misled by the title. The recipes supplied by Peter Duffett-Smith are aimed at making calculations easier with a hand held calculator. However they are easily adapted for creating utilities on personal computers. The material should be easily handled by anyone whose completed highschool algebra and some trigonometry.

The organization and format is well thought out. The earliest chapters deal with time and coordinates which are used in the more complex problems such as computing planet positions later in the book.

Each concept is explained in straight forward language and conventional algebraic formulas are supplied. I found this especially useful for programmers using higher languages such as C,Pascal or Java. Then a step by step practical example is provided that is suitable for a scientific hand calculator. Duffett-Smith is careful about displaying units; a mindfield for most scientific calculations.

My only minor criticism is that some of the typos errors could leave a user quite frustrated. On pp108 I found the value of Tp=0.240850 gave the correct answer while the tabulated value is 0.240852. Similarly, I on page 129, after repeated checks, I got a value of 7.08...AU for Rho compared with the value of 8.13AU in the book. The text cites a 7.2AU value from the Astronomical Almanac.

Otherwise this is one neat addition to the bookshelf of any amateur astronomer of individual interested in astromical calculations.

I am a Chinese from Hong Kong, China. I first read this book was on 1985 on Public Library, it the the only computational astronomy related book. At that time, I was being a secondary school student. This book I found is a very good on basic concept in positional astronomy and other fundamental knowledges concerning in basic ephemeris work. The English of this book is plain and be within the level of Hong Kong secondary school students. Starting from this book, I was being attracted on computational astronomy till now, recently I am in the way of writing of homepage of computational astronomy in Chinese, with the "practical astronomy with your calculator" as paradigm. I am so highly recommended this book.

For all stargazers who have university level math, and those equipped with lighter high school stuff, this book is a gem. In a few pages, and with nothing more than a pocket calculator, it allows you to explore the universe in a way which only a few hundred years ago was only possible with extensive state-support and massive buildings such as Stonehenge, state-sponsored observatories, and teams of pedantic astrologers and stargazers.

Starting from the simple building blocks (converting your local time to Universal time), it progresses to more and more complex calculations, until finally at the end, you can calculate eclipses and planetary orbits. All the formulas needed for doing this are given in the book, and explained in great detail with many diagrams. All relevant astronomical data is also given. And for every calculation, a sample example is carried out with real numbers, which you can trace along with, so by the end of it you understanding is complete, practically as well as theoretically.

A must read for any astronomy buff. I highly recommend it. It produces the information age equivalent of that feeling of satisfaction you get when you build a telescope and look out onto the heavens yourself--without any intermediaries. Astronomy and stargazing are the activities which were the genesis of the scientific revolution, more than 6000 years ago. This book shows you just how its done.

For 3rd grade, I brought this book for show and tell. My classmates were ooed and awweed by the amazing details and pictures that were included on every page. The puzzles that were hidden within the binding and other areas of this wonderful book brought my imagination to life. I'm well too old to be reading books like this anymore. But I sure wish I could buy this book once again and put it on my shelves. Along with two other favorites...."Anamalia" and the "11th Hour" these books are definetely classics.

I think that I will always enjoy this book and I really like it. I'm tweleve and I liked it the first time I read it. I think that this book should get some kind of reward. Like well..."The Best Book Of The Century". I think that everyone should read it. I think that little kids would really like it. I know that I did when I was alittle kid. I liked how the illistrater made such cool pictures.I mean that the pictures where really detailed. William Kenny

I grew up reading this book, the illustrations are wonderful and are so detailed. The best pictures are at the beginning of the book, with a map of the area, which details the cold winter land to the north and the warm summer land of the trumpets to the south. The pictures use real wildlife and down the side of each page their is a numbered key, which relates to the specific item on the picture. Such as Ladybirds, Robins and Blackberries. The story is marvellous, as the trumpets hibernate through the winter, and have to take a underground train to their lair. But trouble is in store for them when the enemies of the north advance. But with the help of the animals, the trumpets save the day.

If you enjoyed Management Challenges for the 21st Century as much as I did, read this book! If you have never read Drucker before, read this book!

Drucker's work has influenced my consulting work and writing for years. I invoke his concepts frequently in my recent book, Work Naked: Eight Essential Principles for Peak Performance in the Virtual Workplace, so I am pleased that he has produced another important reference for business leaders.

This new book provides an excellent sense of the evolution of his point-of-view and of the very nature of work over several decades. He is one of the few authorities with a broad, deep perspective and that is even more valuable in less than optimal economic conditions. As always, it is refreshing and rewarding to read his clear, insightful ideas -- a true master at work!

How do you value a 60 years work condensed into a book? a 92 year old Guru in a book?

This is the condensation of: The New Realities (1988), Management, Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices (1974), Managing for the Future (1992), Management Challenges for the 21st Century (1999), Management in a Time of Great Change (1995), The Practice of Management (1954), The Frontiers of Management (1986), Innovation and Entrepreneurship (1985), The Effective Executive (1966), and Post-Capitalist Society (1993).

I have to admid one thing: THIS IS MY FIRST DRUCKER BOOK ;-).

For those like me who postpone the will to read DRUCKER as confution of where to start, start from here, and follow the other area of your interest.

This is a holistic approach of management from THE MAN himself. And i would not grade less than anything best possible.

If you already had druckers book, this is a good review of the past and reinforce back his view on management.

He has interesting view on the internet ;-).
Either you are a Drucker New Comers, or Druker Veteran, this book is for you.

This is the first book of Drucker that I had read. This is the book for all those people out there who have heard, read or come across Drucker's work in their professional life , but didn't know where to start . It takes you through almost all of Drucker's works on management right from the Management's tasks and responsibilities to the currently very popular but least understood concept of knowledge worker and their productivity. It can serve as the ideal reference book for going into depth on any of the topics discussed. Speaking for myself after reading this book I have read 3 more Drucker's books and crave for more of his works.

As a fromer Marine, I like to keep up with Marine Corps PT. This is a great book for anyone who wants to workout like a Marine or someone who is getting in shape for boot camp or OCS. These are the same workouts that Marines use daily and while on sea duty. The rifle PT section is excellent and you do not need an M16 to make full use of this workout. The book explains more than just workout routines. It does have other information that one may not use. Semper Fi

If you are thinking about the Corps, going back into the Corps, or are in the Corps, this book is a good guide for the physical fitness that one must achieve and sustain. As a prior Marine attempting to get into the Officer Corps, I am finding this book indispensable in my daily routine of trying to get back into shape. I do however suggest that you photocopy the workout pages and laminate them for ease of reference and in the name of keeping the book together in one piece. Good luck in all your endeavors.

This book is just really the best I've ever seen of its kind. Workout books never really did much for me in the way of motivation, but this one truly did/does.

The book is full of easy-to-follow writing that provides good information both for the workout and about our Marine Corps. With full and detailed walk-throughs of both enlisted and OCS physical training courses, the book covers just about anything that anyone considering the USMC would want to know.

The workout itself is clearly laid out with pictures of each exercise being executed with proper form and with schedules that work for beginners and advanced alike.

If you want a general information book about physical training in the USMC or if you just want a solid, easy, all-over body workout...you have GOT to look into this book.

I could not put this book down if I had wanted. The complete Australian atmosphere mesmerized me ... or was it Mr. Winton's unique style of writing? He certainly has a way of capturing a scene in every sentence. This was, perhaps, the closest one can come to experience humanity through a novel. The ordinary lives of humans captured in the normal unexpected events that occur in one's own life. The tragic fragility of what we experience as life can be summed up in the story of Fish. I would recommend this book to high school teachers everywhere. Additionally, I am left wondering how this book could have been missed by the individuals who decide the Booker Prize and its' shortlist

If there was a competition for the greatest Australian novel of the Twentieth Century, Cloudstreet would be in the running for the top prize. It is an indictment of the American publishing industry that it appears to be out of print. Although Winton was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for his later book, The Riders, Cloudstreet is the one that should have won it. Happily, the dramatization of Cloudstreet has endeared it to a new audience, but it it still worth saying: Wake up world, this is a classic novel.

This novel is a family epic, depicting working-class, ordinary, Australian life in an extraordinary and spiritual way. It follows the lives of two families, the 'Pickleses' and the Lambs, as we join them on their journey from isolation to unity. The entire novel, spanning twenty years, takes place in one moment, as Fish Lamb's life flashes before his eyes as he approaches death. Sometimes confusing, this funny, beautiful book is better appreciated with close study, although it can be enjoyed on any level.

I'd like to begin by saying that Serpico is a very great man. Without question he is one of my heroes. I respect his complete integrity. I think this book should be required reading. It shows the importance of integrity. However, I have one major criticism of the book. When Peter Maas wrote it, he had his own agenda. He wrote the book after he wrote The Valachi Papers. Valachi placed Italian-Americans in a negative light. So Maas wanted to focus on an extremely positive American of Italian descent. The only problem is that he did so at the cost of giving fair credit to other people who were involved. In the book and film, Serpico's former friend, David Durk, is reduced to a very secondary role. In fact, the book suggests that Durk's reasons for fighting corruption alongside Serpico are politically motivated. I've read other books about Serpico and Durk. Serpico was certainly incorruptible and a paragon of virtue. However, he would not have gone to the Knapp Commission if Durk had not persuaded him to do so. The two fought corruption together. A proper book would have been entitled SERPICO AND DURK. Maas story is quite exciting. Serpico was very much a street cop. Durk, on the other hand, although equally incorruptible, was a desk cop. They are both men of the highest caliber, and both deserve equal praise. Although I'm disappointed about the treatment of Durk, I still think Serpico is must reading. (P.S. Amazon, you should refer readers to Durk's biography, which is entitled CRUSADER. It's certainly not nearly as exciting as SERPICO, but Serpico does play a large part in the book.

Peter Maas artistically tells a story of a man who always wanted to be a "good cop." Unfortunately, the dream is shattered when Frank Serpico confronts wide-spread corruption in the NYC Police Department. The famous Knapp Commission is a result of Serpico's complaints about corruption on the force.

Unfortunately, Peter Maas's story could be told about many large urban police departments. Make no mistake about it, corruption, bigotry, and racism are all a part of law enforcement. It was the case back in the 60's - 70's, and it is still the case today. Consequently, Peter Maas's story about "one good cop" fighting a sea of corruption is still relevant today.

The story drags at times. But, otherwise, it is quick reading. It is definitely a story that needs to be read. Hence, I recommend this book. Police corruption is still a current topic. But, more importantly, Serpico's story is one of hope. At least there is "one good cop" out there trying to make a difference. And, knowing this, has made a difference in the way I view law enforcement professionals. That is, they are not all bad.

So you want to be a New York City cop? Read this book and make your decision. Even if your aspirations are not towards law enforcement in the big city, read it anyway. This true story takes the reader from the idealistic beginings to the hopeless conclusion of Frank Serpico's police career that spanned eleven years. From the fitting of his first police uniform, heart pounding rides in Brooklyn radio cars, plainclothes assignments, repeatedly explaining to fellow cops that he is not on the take, feeling his frustration and sometimes elation at every small battle he encounters and one brick wall after another in the way of trying to make things right in a city that sometimes doesn't know it's left, from it's right. Anyone who has taken on a unpopular cause will relate to the desparity and loneliness that was felt by Frank Serpico during a great deal of his career. This book was well researched and well written and is still fresh twenty five years after it was first published. It is very detailed and a true depictation of the everyday life of a cop in New York City.

I first read this highly informative, often hilarious book for Intro to Political Science back in college. In this short tome are pearls of wisdom about politics and human nature still relevant 100 years later. Plunkitt, high atop his regular boot-black stand in NYC, declaims to his biographer, Riordan, a life spent in the political machine known as Tammany Hall, with such disarming honesty that is nearly non-existent today. Plunkitt's diatribes on "honest graft vs. dishonest graft," "Brooklynites Natural-Born Hayseeds," and the evils of civil service exams are outright hilarious. I highly recommend this book to anyone with even a passing interest in politics.

Plunkitt was a king in a world that needed benevolent despots. In a place like turn of the century of New York before Keynesian economics and the Welfare State, Tammany was the only relief the poor knew. Plunkitt reveals with refreshing honesty the seemingly rough and coarse manner with which one needed to play the game of politics in his town. However, one must look at it in context. This was a different time from our own, and the reader must imagine whether a person of Plunkitt's demeanor can last in the information age political world. Then again, the book also illustrates how many of the problems Tammany had still exist today.

I originally read this book in undergraduate school as Political Science major, and had to go back and find a copy because of the profound affect it had on my psyche. George Washington Plunkitt was a "stereotypical" politician. You know, the one who says what he needs to say to get elected; but once there does what's necessary for his party.

Comparing his comments to the actions of present day politicians, I don't think there are many differences. Everyone does a little grafting and civil servants are still "civil servants." Understood?

As with any politician, Plunkitt "seen (his) opportunities and (he) took 'em." This is a must for anyone interested in any realm of politics.

I read this wonderful novel after reading Richard Eder's rave review in The New York Times. For once, a critic's hype was absolutelyl justified. I haven't read a more beautifully written and satisfying -- not to mention howlingly funny -- novel in ages. Peter Cameron gives you everything you want from a novel (or at least everything I want): amazingly complex and sympathetic characters, a gorgeous depiction of scene and event (it's no wonder Eder claims the book would make a fantastic movie -- you can almost see the movie as you read the book, it's so vivid and alive), the smartest, wittiest, most moving dialogue of any contemporary writer, and a hurtling plot that encompasses all sorts of human questions of morals and manners and love. The book is a light as a summer breeze, but has considerable depth -- it is explores its moral quandries with the sort of effortless, sure touch of E. M. Forster. My tastes may be old-fashioned, but I didn't think people were writing novels like this anymore: smart, beautiful, supremely moving. No cynicism or authorial ego here. Yes, it's conventional, but wow is it a wonderful book.

After reading his prior novels (particularly "The Weekend" and "Andorra"), I've come to expect that Peter Cameron's novels will be beautifully crafted and full of rich, human dialogue and insight. Peter Cameron's new novel, "The City of Your Final Destination," met my expectations and then some. Like his other works, "City" is full with wonderful yet unassuming prose and dialogue, and intelligent observations on modern life. What makes "City" really special, though, is its generosity towards its characters and their fortunes. The novel recounts, without any of that easy cynicism, but with lots of humor, an exiled and splintered family's coming to terms with a beguiling offer from a young graduate student who descends upon them unannounced. Never syruppy or sentimental, Cameron warmly shows us what it's like today to try, all at once, to do the right thing by all, the best thing for yourself and, in the process, manage to carve out a little love and happiness. Not an easy task, but when rendered with heart and pluck by Peter Cameron, it makes for great, rewarding reading. Enjoy.

I just read Peter Cameron's new novel after reading its glowing review in the New York Times. I'd read and enjoyed his other novels and short stories, and so I was happy to see that he had a new novel out. This one is more light-hearted than his other books but doesn't sacrifice any of the elements that made the other books satisfying to me. His elegant writing and almost uncanny way with dialogue is still on display. Most important for me, though, is the way Cameron manages to convey so much about his characters in such few words. Each of the characters is interesting and unique. It's a really fine book.