THE ITALIAN GIRL by Patricia Hall is extremely well written and kept me fully engaged during the 5-6 hours I spent reading it this rainy Sunday afternoon. GIRL is precisely the sort of mystery I like--not too bloody! Well, more than one corpse surfaces, but the novel contains no gratuitous violence and Hall's character development and plot are excellent.

DCI Michael Thackeray, one of the main characters, is a recovering alcoholic with a sad secret he finally decides to share at the end of the story. His companion Laura Ackroyd, a feature news reporter for a local York paper is a red-headed, zealous, and at times dangerously impulsive young woman, but extremely likeable nevertheless. Laura's charming grandmother Joyce is a fiesty 80-year old who was probably just as reckless in her youth. Heck she's daring in her eighties!! Joyce's life-long causes--decent housing for the less well off, affordable and adequate health care, and safe and well-run nursing facilities are important if not trendy at the moment. If Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan are your role-models, you won't like Joyce!!

GIRL begins with the search for the identity of a skelton excavated at the site of a new housing project. The remains are quickly identified in spite of having been buried six feet under for nearly fifty years, largely owing to the presence of a gold cross found with the corpse (and featured on the book jacket). The remainder of the story involves a search for the killer. The murderer is some one she knew. I did not realize who it was until almost the end of the book because there are several possibilities, and Hall does a good job of laying out the clues and red herrings.

The little gold cross on the front cover is a symbol of many things including some rather interesting insights Hall shares through her characters about Roman Catholocism. As a former RC, I really appreciated her insights, but if you're terribly orthodox, you may not.

One reviewer quoted on the book jacket says Hall's writing is comparable to that of Elizabeth George, but I don't think so for several reasons. George writes extremely long books with a great deal of redundancy. Her plots are hysterical, and at times her characters behave in unbelivable ways. And, George's detectives are aristocrats. Hall's main characters are not aristocrts (think democrat, think liberal, think labor) but ordinary and mostly believeable people, Hall's writing is succinct and realistic. I will definitely read more of Hall's books.

A really engrossing read. This was my first DCI Michael Thackeray & Laura Ackroyd mystery, and I will definitely be looking into the other books in the series. These mysteries are worth reading.

In "The Italian Girl", a skeleton of a young girl is unearthed in the town of Bradfield, and all indications are that it belongs to Mariella Bonnetti, who disappeared from Peter Street on Coronation Day in 1953. At first DCI Thackeray is reluctant to pursue the investigation, feeling that this may cause alot more pain for the innocent living than resolving past events. But then someone from Mariella's past is murdered and the investigation into what happened almost 50 yeras ago takes on a whole new life.

In the meantime, Laura Ackroyd is trying to write a feature piece on an aging Hollywood actor who is trying to make a comeback, as well looking into the sinister goings on at the nursing home her grandmother is currently laid up at because of a fall. Adding to all these headaches is the fear that her relationship with Thackeray is heading for the tubes. Laura definitely has her plate full!

This is a deftly written novel with good tight pacing, and enough red herrings to keep you guessing. Defintely a good read anytime of the year!

Disturbed by diggers and shovels after almost fifty years of concealment in the earth, the human skull rolls and finally settles at the toe of a construction worker. "The game is afoot" for Patricia Hall's complex character, DCI Michael Thackeray and his independent lover, journalist Laura Ackroyd in THE ITALIAN GIRL.

The Coronation Day for Great Britain's Elizabeth II was a jubilant occasion for the British after years of war, loss and rationing. It was also a tragic day for the Bonnetti family, when their beautiful 15 year old daughter, Mariella went missing.

Almost 50 years later DCI Thackeray is called upon to both identify the skeletal remains of a young woman found at the excavation site as well as determine if a murder was committed. Delving into the past, Thackeray and Ackroyd discover that the dreadful events of that day so long ago remain a threat to an individual very much alive in the present.

THE ITALIAN GIRL is a great summer read. Although this is the first of the Thackeray and Ackroyd novels I've had the pleasure to read, so far, I had no difficulty getting involved with the characters. This is a deftly written, suspenseful, enjoyable, quasi-police procedural with complicated, well-fleshed out characters, sprinkled with the Yorkshire dialect. "There's nowt two roads" about it, kudos to Patricia Hall!

DCI Michael Thackeray is sent back to Oxford, to the college where he'd studied, while his superiors work out what to do with the disaster of a case he left behind. Back at Yorkshire, his detectives try to get on with their lives and cope with the death of one of their own. All is not well at Oxford. His college, which has always hidden its crimes, has continued to do so but a missing professor, the professor's missing girlfriend, and considerable missing money compound Thackeray's old memories of a murder that took place when he was a student.

Author Patricia Hall balances the Oxford mystery with the case of a 13-year old girl who was raped and beaten back in Yorkshire. Reporter, and Thackeray's girlfriend Laura serves as a bridge, spending weekends in Oxford with Thackeray and working on both cases.

Virtually all of Hall's male characters are damaged, trying to make a life for themselves despite the loss of so much. Thackeray has never recovered from his years at Oxford, and now must relive that terrible time and the cover-up that he has never forgotten. His sergeant, Kevin Mower, is slowly self-destructing out of grief for the loss of his love. Strong women, Laura, her grandmother, and DC Val Ridley provide the strength to keep the males moving.

Hall's writing is vivid and American readers are likely to enjoy her judicious use of Yorkshire dialect. The mysteries themselves are fairly anti-climactic, however. In particular, the the Oxford murders seem a little too disconnected. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop--but it never did. Likewise the Yorkshire mystery was quickly resolved once Thackeray returned to the job--so quickly that I wondered why it took so long in the first place. SKELETON AT THE FEAST is interesting and thought provoking, but needs a bit of sharpening to be a really compelling mystery.

SKELETON AT THE FEAST involves intrepid reporter Laura Ackroyd and friend D.C.I. Michael Thackery of the Bradford police force. Michael has been placed on leave following the death of a subordinate and is attending a two-week course at Oxford designed to make him a better administrative copper. Thackery attended Oxford as a young man, where he played rugby but never quite fit in. Following graduation, he returned to his North Yorkshire roots to become a police officer and has not been back in 20 years.

While attending the course, he crosses paths with old lecturers and tutors and one of them asks him to look into the disappearance of a local don who apparently left with a young female employee of "Friddie", Thackery's old school. Thackery's unauthorized investigation into the disappearance of his former school fellow and rugby mate soon sets off a chain of events that leads to the unearthing of skeletons galore.

Meanwhile, Laura is back in Bradford crossing paths with Kevin Mower who is distraught following the death of his former colleague and Val Ridley, blonde copper with a big crush on Mower. The Bradford police force is searching for the fiend who attacked a young girl living in council housing whom he left for dead. Never fear, Laura finds the way to Oxford where she links up with Thackery for a little sleuthing and romance.

I love this series, but begin with the first book. The strength of Hall's stories is characterization. Each book builds on the last.

"Skeleton at the Feast" is yet another compelling and riveting installment in the Yorkshire Mystery series that features the broodingly charismatic Detective Chief Inspector, Michael Thackeray.

In "Skeleton at the Feast," Thackeray has been sent to Oxford University (his alma mater) in order to attend a summer course on police management. In reality however, Thackeray has been sent out of Bradfield while his fate is being decided -- a young police officer had been shot under his command, and Thackeray is now facing an inquiry into whether or not he is to be held accountable for her untimely death. For Thackeray however, being in Oxford again resurrects all kinds of painful memories of not really fitting in, being harassed by the snobby upper-class students with whom he played rugby, and the tragic accidental death of one of the first women to be admitted to St. Frideswides (Thackerary's college). And when Thackeray's old tutor, Hugh Greenaway, and current Master of St. Frideswides asks Thackeray to unofficially look into the disappearance of a senior don and an old undergraduate rugby foe, Dr. Mark Harrison, he reluctantly agrees to do so. But when he meets the don's abandoned wife, Thackeray realises that there is a whole lot more going on then Greenaway had led him to believe. Motivated by sympathy for Mrs. Harrison, and a desire to see justice done, Thackeray begins to look deeply into the affairs of the missing Mark Harrison, and discovers that Harrison is not the only person missing from Oxford. His young mistress seems to be missing as well; and not only has her disappearance been ignored, but few seem to care as to her whereabouts. Angry that once again unsavory misdeeds are being swept under the carpet, Thackeray is determined to discover the truth and to bring it out into the open. The once friendly Greenaway tries to warn Thackeray off, but will independently minded Thackeray listen?

What makes "Skeleton at the Feast" such great reading is that we get to know a little bit more about DCI Michael Thackery and the past that haunts him and that helped shape him. We also get to see how much policing in England seems to have become a little bit less the pursuit of law and order, and more about clearance rates and numbers. And while the Oxford events that are related in "Skeleton at the Feast" make for compelling reading, what makes this mystery novel doubly interesting is that Patricia Hall has juxtaposed what occurs in Oxford with a case of violent assault that has taken place in Bradfield which Thackeray's sidekicks DS Mower and DC Ridley have to cope with under the command of the new acting head, the ambitious DI Jackie Bairstow, who is after Thackeray's job. How Hall manages to juxtapose these two different subplots, and yet makes everything seem so seamless, is absolutely brilliant.

The greatest charm about this series (and book) is that Patricia Hall has created a group of characters whose well-being we have come to care about. With each new mystery novel we learn a little more of each character and empathise with the ups and downs in their lives. The Yorkshire Mystery is a wonderfully absorbing series, and "Skeleton at the Feast" fits in superbly.

This book was interesting and uplifting in its examination of a friendship that has weathered all the ups and downs that life can bring, including divorce, death, and feelings of competitiveness. However, I feel that Goodman and O'Brien chose to discuss friendships with women who were very similar to themselves, i.e. women who are college-educated and fairly economically well-off. The authors are unusual in that they have the financial resources to take vacations together,to fly to visit one another, and to make lengthy long distance phone calls. I felt that the authors' lacked sensitivity to the fact that many women are not so fortunate. A few of the women portrayed are exceptions, but by and large Goodman and O'Brien have examined friendship in the context of privileged lives. I would have liked to read a book that focused on very ordinary people who were blessed with extraordinary friendships.

What a delight it was to come across this terrific book! I think the authors were able to capture something many women feel throughout their lives but sometimes have difficulty articulating -- the precious nature of their friendships with other women. I found myself wanting to contact those women with whom I've shared my joys and pains to tell them, first, how important they have been to me throughout my life, and second, to READ THE BOOK. Goodman and O'Brien were able to cover a wide spectrum of sociocultural backgrounds in their interviews with women, focusing on the commonality of the experience of friendship in women's lives. I thought the book was provocative and stimulating; it made me examine my relationships and intensified my appreciation of the women I cherish as my friends. It's a pleasure to know that I've read a book I can recommend with great enthusiasm to women I know -- and to men as well.

I concur with the previous laudatory reviews. These writers are right on the mark; I feel as if they have lived inside my friendships - the competition for men (one took my husband), the much appreciated support through the rough spots of life, and the fun of time spent with other women having a good time - sharing stories, feelings and being silly at 60! I plan to send copies of this book to my dearest friends. I know they will recognize what we have shared - some for 45 years. Thank you Ellen and Pat! See, I feel as if I am a first name basis having read your book!

The Kay Scarpetta series is best read in chronological sequence, as each new novel builds on developments from the previous ones, and knowledge of this history is to some degree assumed. Thus, if you're going to read one of the series, this is the one.

Some reviewers here criticize the lack of non-stop action. To the contrary, I think the style is highly effective. Cornwell indulges in her well-developed, diverse characters with introspection and dialog. Furthermore, investigations are not a linear progression -- everything isn't always wrapped up in a tidy little package, every piece of evidence isn't used, and every fact isn't explained. But that's life.

The series has also been criticized for being a bit "nerdy". But that's appropriate -- it's strength. The use of evidence and the examination of the crime scene reminds me of my favorite crime author, Canon Doyle. The magnifying glass is replaced by a substantially more expensive apparatus, but the attention paid to analytic methods and thinking is quite enjoyable.

The combination of rich character development and intellectual analysis makes this a really enjoyable book, and worthwhile series. I really highly recommend it. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is I reserve that for the highest tier of fiction, and I'm not sure this is quite there. But it's certainly some of the best work I've read in a long time.

Mrs. Cornwell is one of these authors that writes a couple of good books and all the rest of her books sell a very well quantity only because of those written in the past. Obviously, she really knows how to do the thing she does, she criated her own style out of nothing and she has more than just "a couple of good books". Patricia Cornwell is famous and has an intriguing life that would give to the readers a very nice biography.

BODY OF EVIDENCE is the best Kay Scarpetta book I've read till now. No other book by Patricia Cornwell moved me so much and gave me such pleasure. It's modern and it has also very nicely written characters that you'll love. And a wonderful plot, for sure. You won't be disappointed if you read that book. It's really worthwhile. One of those rare books by Patricia Cornwell that you buy and don't regret for doing it.

Unlike Post-Mortem, Body Of Evidence lays itself out like a roadmap with many blind curves. Kay Scarpetta knows her stuff but is a little out of touch as far as police work goes. (I don't know many people who maintain constant dialogue with the FBI to help out with their case-load.) That's the only down-side to the character. The one thing I appreciated was that the "Who-Dun-It" was introduced in the series of fact-finding points throughout the story. So, at the end, when they caught the person, you as the reader could say, "OK. I remember how this fit earlier." Post-Mortem pulled the killer out of a proverbial hat, as if the author suddenly needed to end the book. But Body of Evidence was a good read with mystery, a twisted love-interest, and Detective Marino. (I think Marino secretly likes Kay.) Enjoy.

An interesting story of a remarkable woman with unusual strength and deep insight into faith, Christ and christian living. Thus defenately worth reading. Yet the book left me spiritually hungry; I would have wanted to hear more Ruth's own voice, get closer to her and her way of figuring things out. That would have also brought more warmth into the biography. A book called "Coffee and conversation with Ruth Bell Graham and Gigi Tchividjian" fills that kind of needs better.

Ruth is a remarkable woman, with an interesting childhood, young adult and adult life story. She is a picture of a godly, submissive wife who is not a doormat....(something this world needs more examples of!) I recommend it, especially for young Christian women who are engaged or newly married.

A well written biography of one of the best examples of a Godly woman

DEAD ON ARRIVAL by Patricia Hall is an excellent mystery. Hall does not write as well as P.D. James or Colin Dexter, but she gets my vote as one of the top writers in the second tier of English mystery writers. Hall's hero Thackeray does not have the cynical intelligence of Dexter's Morse or the lyrical melancholy of James' Dalgliesh, but as Hall grows older, if she continues to write this series, Thackery has the potential to age like a fine wine. Given Laura Ackroyd's penchant for risking her neck I expect her to be erased long before that happens--or to wise up before she loses credibility with the reader. Laura just never seems to learn. But, good journalists die every day.

The strengths of DEAD ON ARRIVAL include a mostly plausible, well developed and tight plot (moves at a reasonable pace with no loose ends); a good sense of place (dozens of apt and colorful metaphors); and a reasonably well developed set of main characters who behave realistically most of the time (albeit immaturely at times). In DOA, Hall adds another dimension to the character of Kevin Mower, thus providing him with needed depth, and the potential to play a stronger role in future novels (especially if Laura is wiped out).

The storyline in DOA involves the illegal trafficking of aliens. Hall was very courageous to take on this topic and for the most part she has handled it objectively, though perhaps not as objectively as the poor sods who inforce the immigration laws would like. It's easy to take the side of the individual immigrant (one of my best friends fled Idi Amin and another fled Communist China) but so hard to see the damage that will eventually result from the unregulated flow of undocumented people.

...

Hall's story is fairly drawn. Laura is sympathetic and as confused as most folks are. Although it's tempting to have the bad guys always be white racist skinhead thugs (the bad guys used to wear black hats, now they wear white skin!!), Hall makes it clear that people from all backgrounds can be involved in crime and cruel behavior. Laura Ackroyd breaks the social contract (the immigration law) and jeopardizes her life in the process. Thackery loves her, and risks his career to protect her. The resulting mess is predictable. Laura is an idealist with liberal tendancies. God loves liberals but they sure can make a mess.

This is probably one of the most disturbing and poignant of mystery novels that I've read in quite a long time. "Dead On Arrival" deals with the whole issue of illegal immigration -- the horrors that people go through in order to enter another country when they lack the appropriate papers in order to start a new life, and of the people who exploit the situation. This novel pays especial attention to the plight of asylum seekers, in the wake of England's (and Europe in general) tightening of the asylum seekers laws.

Having broken up with DCI Michael Thackeray once again, journalist Laura Ackroyd is in London, looking into job options and trying to decide what to do about Thackeray. On her way home one night, she witnesses in horror a gang of skinheads beating up on two African teenagers. One of the teenagers escapes, but the other one dies. Angry and horrified, Laura is further put off by the investigative officer's dismissive attitude of the crime and of her eye witness account of the incident and culprits involved. And when she is offered the opportunity to do an investigative article about the incident and the social and cultural implications of the crime, Laura jumps on it. Menacing 'phone calls to give up her crusade and to go home only fuels her determination to persevere.

In the meantime DCI Thackeray still reeling from the breakup is called in to investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl. On the surface of it Safi Haque seems to be the dutiful Muslim daughter, hardworking, intelligent and obedient. Where then could she have disappeared to? Could she have runaway? Her parents claim that she has not, but seem reluctant to provide any useful information. And then an account from a witness points to the possibility that Safi may have been kidnapped. But the Haques are not a wealthy family, and seem to have no enemies. Thackeray cannot help but wonder exactly what is going on within the Haque family even as he begins to fear that the search for Safi may end with the discovery of her dead body.

How these two events are connected is what makes this mystery novel such compelling reading. I was able to figure rather early on how these two seemingly different investigations were connected, but even I ws not prepared for the poignancy that the connection would bring. Laura's quest for justice for the dead boy and her outrage at the plight of the asylum seekers resonates through the pages. While Thackeray's quiet anguish at their separation is almost too painful to read. Will Laura and Thackeray finally put all their differences and issues aside and move on together, or will this rift be a permanent one? (Well, I won't go into that as that would be telling, as well as why this novel is really so agonizing.)

"Dead On Arrival" is a very sad and touching novel, but one that is well worth reading.

Patricia Hall always gives the reader something to think about. Journalist, Laura Ackroyd, witnesses a murder. She becomes involved by wanting to write about it and thus places herself in danger when she identifies one of the attackers. Prejudice rears its ugly head as she searches for clues and uncovers the hate given to those immigrating to the UK. The tale of how people are smuggled into other countries, the horrors they endure, and those who profit gives the reader insights not often discussed in the news. Her relationship with DCI Thackeray continues on its rocky road. As always, a very interesting mystery!

I requested this book from my local library on one of the authors alone. I am impressed by Patricia Telesco's constant efforts to help Pagans find their spirituality. It isn't an easy task for a spiritual path (I won't dare say religion) that has had it's rites, rituals, symbols, and core beliefs obscured and verboten for so very long.
She doesn't defeat in this recent effort with Rowan Hall. There are numerous books on the market illuminating the magical possibilities of herbs. But animals? Aside from a books that mention in vague terms references to "spirit animals", "totemic forces" and the power of one's pet, where are the guides with uses for..um, animal parts?
In this "unclutteredly" written book, you can find magical and religious(not that the two should be that separate) uses for animal parts in ways that are legal, safe, ethical and (definitely a key factor for me) not disgusting.
I should advise however that this is most certainly not a light-hearted book, nor a book for someone looking for a light read.
This book has altered my own magical practices, and changed my perception of the animal world, particularly in relation to myself. Of the myriad of books available today on the market of Paganism, this is one of the gritter offerings we've seen in modern times(the past ten years),what with the onslaught of heavily marketed,mostly spiritually bereft beginner books. Read it as such.

I am a reading specialist who previews new books all the time. I liked this book because it emphasizes the connection between spelling and phonics which is like being two sides of a coin. In addition, the activities are suitable for various levels and they seem to be classroom tested because I can sense that they are very realistic and practical.

While the idea behind the Friends of Ed series is admirable and useful - that is, to cover the broad and expansive areas of Flash development that are not so well documented elsewhere - the books so far have been spoiled by the inconsistent quality of their ActionScript.

Too often, I get the feeling that authors that have been invited to contribute have simply re-worked a pre-existing project - and this all too often includes (the usual) hacks and workarounds which all of us use when faced with deadlines. Bits and pieces of Flash4 ActionScript creep in every now and again - and occassionally the authors seem to be entirely unaware of new methods introduced in Flash5 that make their workarounds obsolete (the onClipEvent for loaded data is one example - see Chapt 9 of this book to learn how to do it the *old* way).

Furthermore, the tutorials often lack focus - as though the editors can't decide where to pitch the level of instruction: so that some hard-core ActionScript is often mixed-in with superfluous detail about how to build the interface for the tutorial example.

Anyway, my advice if you really want to *learn* ActionScript for yourself - and also avoid the mistakes, hacks and workarounds that plague the Friends of Ed books - put Phillip Kerman's excellent "ActionScripting in Flash" together with Colin Moock's "ActionScript: The Definitive Guide" on your desk - you'll never look back.

If you are a newbie,......their are other alternatives that will get your feet wet, but if you are a practicing Flash developer and have a firm understanding of ActionScript...this book will inspire you to build real dynamic Flash apps. It touches on Flash Javascript methods, Flash and textfiles and goes into server side middleware solutions like, CGI,Perl and PHP. It also introduces you to database integration. This book gives you real world solutions, which maybe a bit elementary, but overall it lays the foundation for you. I found this book to be inspiring and to be the book which pushed me to learn CGI,PERL,PHP and MySQL. If your looking to build real dynamic/interactive Flash applications or websites this is the book.

I've bought numerous books on Flash and the Dynamic Scripting that can be intermingled with Flash.... Flash 5 ActionScript F/X and Design, Flash 4 Creative Web Animation, and different Wrox books on ASP, ASP databases, and ADO. This book ties ALL of them together. It explains motion scripting for beginners, and then it shows how to import variables from ASP, PHP, Perl, and Cold Fusion. These 1000+ pages contain EVERYTHING you want to know about Flash, it it with out a doubt, THE BEST FLASH BOOK EVER CREATED!!!! It even branches out Flash to other programs like Dreamweaver UltraDev and Generator, it explains how to display information from databases using Flash Turbine. If you read this book, you will be a master at Flash.

Did NOT help us run Kaizen events. An overview and story.
Author has never implemented Kaizen, only told about others' successes.
Not a "how to do it" book.

Three contributers, three more "experts" trying to tell us how to do something that they have never done themselves.
A lot of references and notable people and companies are mentioned, but where is the real hands-on "How to do it?"
This book is a story book and should be classified as FICTION.
This trio are writers, not "Lean Manufacturing" implementers.

As you probably know already, the word "kaizen" is a Japanese term meaning "to make better" with the implication that such effort should be continuous, indeed intensive and unrelenting. Since 1994, the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) has developed a series of educational initiatives known as the "Kaizen Blitz." In the Introduction to this volume, Jon Brodeur observes: "We think non-consultant-driven events -- training and on-the-floor work by the experts, the hands-on employees who have experienced the power of the Kaizen Blitz -- will continue to be a welcome addition to any organization's arsenal of improvement approaches. Small- and medium-sized companies can do it as well as larger ones and they may have an advantage if operations are small enough in scope to get their arms around." However, positive and significant results can only be achieved with an appropriate combination of leadership at its highest level, acceptance (indeed enthusiasm) throughout all other levels, and tenacious involvement about attaining 20 percent to 50 percent improvement (or greater) in performance in a short time and in narrowly targeted areas. The effective Kaizen process must be top-down, initiated and sustained by teamwork, and focused entirely on doing "whatever needs to be done" ASAP. The authors of this book explain both how and why.

The material is organized within 11 chapters whose titles correctly suggest the nature and extent of coverage: The Power of AME's Kaizen Blitz: Learning by Doing; The Roots of Kaizen; Improvement Strategy: Implementing the Big Picture; Getting Ready for Kaizen; Time Prints and Takt Times; How to Tell If There Is Improvement: Adding Value, Subtracting Waste: Uncovering the Flows: Establishing and Clarifying Process Flows; Forms, Charts, and Measurements; Sustaining the Gain: Lean Leadership; and finally, Never Look Back. Throughout the book, the authors reiterate the imperative that Kaizen Blitz initiatives must be sharply focused, task oriented, results driven, measurable and -- meanwhile -- FAST. Hence the relevance of the concept of "blitz," which gained worldwide prominence prior to and then during World War II when Fascist and then Allied forces attacked enemy positions with unprecedented velocity. As the AME Kaizen Blitz has demonstrated so convincingly, the same strategy (with obvious modifications) can effectively be implemented within any organization, regardless of size or nature.

Obviously I think highly of this book because it offers a sensitive, flexible, thoughtful and rigorous program to achieve what the subtitle correctly describes as "accelerating breakthroughs in productivity and performance." If these brief comments suggest that this is a program your organization needs, I strongly recommend that all of its decision-makers read it. Then, schedule an offsite meeting during which the book becomes the agenda for collaborative efforts to formulate and implement a Kaizen Blitz appropriate to your organization's specific needs and interests. If there is a need for additional resources, I strongly suggest Breyfogle's two books as well as one written by Pande and his co-authors.