Reading this book reminded me of attending a good conference where lots of company executives provide detailed examples of the issues they faced, and how they went about dealing with those issues. Since such conferences usually cost several hundred dollars, this book is a real bargain -- and you don't have to get on an airplane and fly someplace!

One of the strengths of the book is that you receive several perspectives on the context for each case history. The editors describe what each case means, and the conclusions section summarizes general patterns. Also, each case is presented in the same format which makes it easier to understand what is being shared. I was particularly grateful for the exhibits (which exist in electronic form in the CD enclosed in the book). I also appreciated that the cases were primarily written by Human Resources professionals inside the companies, rather than being a consultant's take on what happened.

Having said all those positive things, let me share some concerns. First, I looked in vain for my favorite examples of outstanding work in recruiting, retention, knowledge encouragement, and executive development. If this book is about "best practices" where were GE, Disney, Motorola, Ritz Carlton, and SAS Institute? Second, many of the cases involved companies that are better known for their poor performance than for excellence. If they are developing their people so well, what happened? Third, a lot of these cases involve new initiatives where the long-term consequences are hard to see. Fourth, the profit impact on the organizations was not well documented. That makes it hard to use these cases as examples to encourage your own company to follow suit. Fifth, as change management processes, most of these cases are far behind the curve of what is described in Peter Senge's various books of case histories such as The Dance of Change. Part of the reason seems to be that a number of these cases aren't very new.

Of the cases in the book, I recommend the ServiceMASTER, Westinghouse, Johnson & Johnson, Allstate, and Case Corporation examples as the most helpful to me. I mention that because there's a lot of material in this book. I read a lot and rapidly, and I found this book hard to tackle. By being more selective in what you go after, you can help avoid some of that problem. Naturally, if your own issues are only in a few areas, just look at those cases.

Develop the full potential of everyone, beginning with yourself!

"The principal goal of this book is to provide you with the key ingredients taken from best-companies to help you create and enhance your organization and human resource development (OD/HRD) initiative. Through a case study approach, this book provides practical, easy-to-apply tools, instruments, training, concepts, and competency models that can be used as benchmarks for the successful implementation of your specific OD/HRD initiative (from the Introduction)."

In this context, Louis Carter, David Giber, and Marshall Goldsmith (editors) divide core part of this book -Organization and Human Resources Development Case Studies- into following five OD/HRD topic areas:

I. Organization Development and Change: In this section, W. Warner Burke says, "Seven rich cases (Kraft Foods, Nortel, ServiceMASTER, SmithKline Beecham, Westinghouse, CK Witko, and Xerox) of organization development and change are discussed...The cases cover a wide range of change from how OD occurs every day to deep change in an organization's culture...Without doubt we can learn from these cases. And learn we must. Changing organization is too intricate to be left to novices. We have indeed learned and noted at the outset, but we still have much to learn. As one who has been involved for more than 35 years, helping organizations change is both thrilling and very satisfying. Learning, however, is the most exciting part (pp.6-8)."

II. Leadership Development: In this section, Jay A. Congerwrites that "In the cases that follow, we look at three companies (Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, and Sun Microsystems,Inc.) that have dedicated serious time and resources to leadership development...In addition, all three of the company cases make extended use of competency models, 360-degree feedback, and action learning (p.186)."

III. Recruitment and Retention: In this section of the book, John Sullivan writes, "you'll learn how three diverse companies tackled their retention and recruiting problems. Two of the firms are high tech (AMD and Cellular One), while another (Allstate) is in a more traditional industry. Both AMD and Cellular One focus on solving the hot issue of retention while Allstate takes a new look at the recruiting and selection processes. All three of the case studies use a scientific approach to identify which solutions have the most impact...All three of these case studies are worth examining because of their scientific methodology as well as their results. All are full of powerfull 'lessons learned' for those who are soon to begin a major recruitment or retention effort (pp.303-304)."

IV. Performance Management: This section examines performance management systems of Case Corporation and Sonoco. Edward E. Lawler III says that "the performance management systems in most organizations are contoversial, ineffective, and constantly under construction. They are so problematic that critics argue many organizations would be better off if they simply didn't have a performance management system, particularly one in which performance appraisals are tied to pay actions. But-and it is an important but- if individuals are not appraised, counseled, coached, and rewarded for performance, how can an organization pruduce the organized, coordinated, and motivated behavior that it takes to perform well? The answer most likely is that it can't (p.393)."

V. Coaching and Mentoring: Introduction of this section, Beverly Kaye writes, "the last 5 years have seen a groundswell in both arenas. And it's not just been more of the same; organizations have begun to use mentoring and coaching more purposefully. HR and OD practitioners have worked to utilize both interventions to meet pressing business problems having to do with the development and retention of talent, as well as the growth of future leaders. These interventions have been more systemic, more thoughtful, and more innovative than ever before. The case studies (Dow Corning, and MediaOne Group-AT&T) illustrate this trend. Both were motivated by specific business drivers, both were preceded by intensive research, both were implemented over time, and both were evaluated seriously. Readers will find them instructive, detailed, and engaging (p.438)."

Finally, Louis Carter (editor) says that "contributors were asked to indicate where they envision their organization is heading with its initiative within the next 5 to 10 years. Responses indicate that the contributors want to keep the organization on a track to continuously learn and develop its capabilities. Comments from some contributors indicate that they want to leverage lessons learned from this experience. Some contributors commented that they want to firmly ingrain the initiative into the organization to the point that it is almost invisible to the user, making it an accepted part of life at the company. Other contributors will continue to refine the present initiative in place, while others will expand their efforts into other business lines. Survey results clearly indicate that the present state of the initiatives represented in this book represent snapshots of moving targets. Further growth and innovation is inevitable for these best practice organizations, as they work to stay ahead of their competitors by embracing change and continuously learning and improving (pp.531-532)."

Strongly recommended.

Here in a single volume is about all that is needed to design, implement, and then monitor a program through which to achieve organizational transformation. Moreover, the editors have selected both information and wisdom which can help to ensure that such a program is comprehensive, cohesive, and cost-effective. The phrase "best practices" is apt but should not be misconstrued to mean that strategies and tactics which have been highly successful in some organizations are necessary going to be successful in all others. Moreover, I urge the reader to keep in mind that, although the organizations featured (e.g. Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft Foods, Nortel Networks, ServiceMASTER, SmithKline Beecham, and Sun Microsystems) are among the largest in their respective industries, much of the material in this book is also relevant to small-to-midsize organizations. My own rather extensive past experience with all manner of organizations (including non-profits) has convinced me that most people do not fear change; rather, they fear the unfamiliar. Hence the importance of three on-going initiatives: communicate, communicate, and communicate.

Part One consists of Acknowledgments, About This Book, How to Use This Book, and an excellent Foreword by Richard Beckhard. Carter, Giber, and Goldsmith then shift their attention in Part Two of "Organization & Human Resources Development Case Studies." The individual case studies are distributed within this thematic structure:

Organizational Development & Change

Leadership Development

Recruitment & Retention

Performance Management

Coaching & Mentoring

Part Three: Conclusion consists of Research (OD/HRD Trends and Findings), Endnotes, About Linkage, Inc., About the Editors, Index, and How to Use the CD-ROM, terrific value-added benefit.

Back to Beckhard's Foreword for a moment. In it, he identifies six (6) "elements" which are basic to each case study; all are central to and sequential within the change process associated with organizational development/human resource development (OD/HRD). They are: Business Diagnosis, Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, On-the-Job Support, and Evaluation. It is helpful to keep these six "elements" clearly in mind while working your way through the abundance of information which the editors provide. Fortunately, they have organized the (sometimes daunting) material with meticulous care and write exceptionally well. I also urge you to use the same six "elements" as guidelines when determining what the design of your own program for organizational change should be, and, when selecting those strategies and tactics discussed in the book which are most appropriate to the implementation and evaluation of that program. This is especially true of decision-makers in small-to-midsize organizations.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out O'Toole's Leading Change, Katzenbach's Real Change Leaders as well as his Peak Performance , Kaplan and Norton's The Balanced Scorecard and The Strategy-Focused Organization, Quinn's Deep Change, O'Dell and Grayson's If Only We Knew What We Know, Isaacs' Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together, and Senge's The Dance of Change. Those especially interested in Six Sigma are encouraged to check out (and read in this order) Pande's The Six Sigma Way, Breyfogle's Implementing Six Sigma, and Eckes's Making Six Sigma Last.

Ever wonder who was the chair of the "establishment" for a good part of the 20th Century. It was clearly John McCloy. Here's a short bio: grew up poor; graduated from Harvard Law School; became a partner at Cravath; was Under-Secretary of Defense (under Stimson) for FDR -- basically the number two guy (and the go-to-guy) in the War Department in WWII; was behind many good and bad decisions like internment of the Japanese (supported) and dropping of the atom bomb (opposed); became the allied ruler of Germany after the war (and was responsible for the democratization of the country); Chairman of the World Bank; Chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations; Chairman and CEO of Chase; Chair of President's Disarmament Committee; helped negotiate the Cuban Missile Crisis; served on the Warren Commission; knew every President personally from FDR to Bush. He is a complicated person who made many good and bad decisions -- Read this book.

As a lawyer, it's gratifying to see that a fellow lawyer, John McCloy, had such a key role in putting together post-WW II Europe, and it challenges my anti-FDR leanings to read this book, since McCloy was mainly a tool of FDR. Even though he was a Republican. Mr. Bird chronicles McCloy's life starting from humble New York beginnings, and establishes that you must understand the New York investment houses, the law firms they fed and controlled, and the European investments of those New Yorkers, to understand Mc Cloy. By the end of the book, we do.

Bird has the gift of not saying too much, but telling you a lot. McCloy's dad dies, then his mom (hairdresser to the rich) keeps him in contact with Rockefellers and the like, and thru lots of hard work and sacrifice, she sees that John makes it into the exclusive schools with the same upper-crust people. He then becomes a lawyer, and does the dirty work for the unscrupulous bond salesmen who use the public's unsecured money to pay back the priority lenders to doomed projects, mainly railroads, before those same creditors send in the lawyers to repo the assets, and sell them to contolled companies which sell them again. This is all pre-New Deal, pre-SEC. Mc Cloy gets good at it and his skill at tennis leads him to play hard-ball on the tennis courts, as well as in the law courts, with big money NY types, which makes McCloy attractive to the law firms feeding off of the investment houses. At this point, a useful companion book to read would be Robert Sobel's history of the Dillon, Read investment house, which goes into more detail.

McCloy ends up being detailed to the federal gov't during WW I and becomes an intelligence expert, and then has a key part in forming what becomes the CIA. He stays connected with the CIA for the rest of his life, while pinging and ponging out of the gov't, mainly on "commissions" and "panels" and he also gets tied up with the Council on Foreign Relations, which Bird convincingly describes as very powerful in its day.

McCloy's career peaks when FDR appoints him to be high commissioner for post-WW II Germany, with plenary, Caesar-like powers, which McCloy exercises tactfully and with restraint. While also playing lots of tennis. This section of the book is very gripping, as Bird unwinds the CIA's role in funding anti-Soviet left-wing intellectuals to counter Soviet propaganda, and to make sure Germany does not intrepidly rush to unify too soon--before the die-hard old Nazi's of Germany's industrial establishment are neutralized by the passage of a generation.

The European Community is also convincingly penetrated, below the acronyms and meetings which symbolize it for most contemporary students. Bird details how McCloy dealt with the treaties forming the EC, and how insuring Germany's non-reunification fit with putting other countries intot he coal and steel industries which Germany would need to becomea credible threat again.

In this reading, the awfulness of Germany, and the threat of revanchement, is what drove the cold war, not just anti-Soviet inexorabilities of history. In leading the effort at such a key time, McCloy's sportsmanship, learning, connections, and toughness were all needed. Bird suggests where and how McCloy developed each of these qualities, and how the old "Establishment" in America operated through these high quality servants of the amassed wealth of the Eastern types who then utilized WW II to launch America as the ruler of the economic world for the next 50 years. Quite an achievement, considering they could have just sat around Bar Harbor instead, wasting the talents of the acolyte class of McCloys on sailboat lessons and hair-do's for their wives and children.

Leaving us with the issue of what type of Americans will be called on to get us through whatever convulsions are left, now that George H.W. Bush and James Baker III steered us through the definitive collapse of Russian Communism. In this light, should we be glad or sad that the Arkansas contingent looks like they will miss the coming convulsion of Chinese communism?

I first encountered Lidia Bastianich through the public television program, "New York, The Great Chefs." Ms. Bastianich made Grapes in Grappa. I had never heard of grappa but I knew I wanted to copy that recipe and so I bought the companion book for the series. Many years later, La Cucina di Lidia crossed my hands and I'm glad it did. And not just for the recipes, which are superb. Lidia and I are the same age. While I grew up is a working class suburb in the American Midwest,with its small lots ringed by chainlink fence, Lidia grew up in a country still scarred by WWII. We were not wealthy -- my father, who never went to high school, was a skilled laborer -- but we never had the sort of struggle to put food on the table that Lidia's family had. That struggle and the story of her families immigration is told in this cookbook. And, yes, it is a cookbook, but it is just as interesting as a document of perhaps the "other side" of the Baby Boom generation that has been soundly criticised for materialism and self-indulgence. From generations of Istrian cooks, Lidia learned how to feed a family suberbly. To my Irish and Polish family, the Italian dishes that were making their way into the Midwest in the 1950s were exotic. I remember my mother buying the "spaghetti kit," (can I mention the brand - Chef Boyardee) a yellow, rectangular box in which there was a long, thin box of dry spaghetti, a medium size can of tomato sauce and a small can of grated cheese. When there were only 2 children in the family, we were fed from one box, but as the children grew in size and increased in number, so did the number of boxes it took to feed the family. It was with considerable trepidation that my mother bought her first pound of dry pasta and cans of whole tomatoes and tomato paste and made her first "Italian" dinner from scratch. More than red sauce, this is a wonderful book that captures an era and an area. By the way, Lidia also answers the question of dry v. "fresh" pasta. A great book.

A book close to my heart. My family hails from the island of Krk just south of Istria. As a first generation American I am fortunate to have the flavorings of the Adriatic in my soul and palate. This book literally brought tears to my eyes. My family will have hours of enjoyment from this book. As a fellow child of Astoria,Queens---HVALA LIDIA!!!

I thought that this book had mostly all the stuff you needed to know in the way of repairing your Chevy Lumina or your Monte Carlo, but it did leave some things out, that I could have used to make my Lumina perform even better

this book is really neato

uh, this book was like good and stuff

Divided into sections the book gives the reader an over veiw of the principals and aplication each of the welding methods including arc, mig, tig, oxy-acealyne, and plasma giving the advantages and draw backs of each as well as history of the method. Also included is the basic requirements of the shop reguarding electrical and price range as well as some basic metal composition and practical application of metals to projects. I think the author should have gone into more detail of the how to aspects. Over veiw is great however and I definetly recomend it for a beginner ready to buy a home or farm welder.

This book provides a general overview of the various welding processes and gives the novice welder an excellent foundation of information and instruction.

Like the rest of Haynes' manuals, concise and to the point. Well written and good layout as well. As noted above by others, it's divided off into chapters each covers first the history and theory behind the various types of welding, and then a general walk-through of the use. It covers the basics from someone who's walking into welding cold (er, bad pun, sorry) not necessarily a handbook for a welding student. In its defense, this is admitted within its pages. Still i found it to be a useful addition to my shop library. It was interesting reading, as well as a good primer for someone who is looking into starting up a welding rig. If you think you're ready to buy your first welder, i recommend you take a look at this. Well worth the couple of bucks. One last point, as with all technical books, keep an eye out for the newest editions. Advancements are always making tech manuals slightly out of date. Not a real big concern as far as welding, but something to keep an eye on.

Celebrating the 100th Birthday of the National Wildlife Refuges, this book is a revealing and oft inspiring account of the history of the refuges and the closely allied conservation movement. Accompanying the text are stunning photographs of the wildlife and lands they have preserved.

The story begins with a heartbreaking description of the wanton destruction of wildlife from the time the colonists arrived through the 19th Century. Some species were driven to extinction and many more were threatened by that fate. In the latter half of the 19th century, individuals and groups struggled to stem this desecration of our heritage to little avail.

Many argued that only Federal government action could protect wildlife from the excesses of a market driven economy. While there were some steps in that direction during the late 1800's, the seminal event came in 1903 when Teddy Roosevelt established Pelican Island in Florida as the first National Wildlife Refuge.

In the century since, the refuge system has steadily grown to its current count of 538 refuges in all 50 states. Throughout this history, there have been continual battles with those who sought to use the refuges for activities detrimental to wildlife. Finally, in 1997 the dominant purpose of the refuges to protect wildlife was made the law of the land.

Unfortunately, there is one crucial exception. A political compromise at the time of its creation left the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- also known as the "American Serengeti" -- vulnerable to devastating oil development. The author chronicles the origin of that controversy and its evolution to the present time. Given his strong advocacy for wildlife and the refuges in this book, his treatment of the protagonists in the ANWR controversy is remarkably even handed. By contrast, the writers in Subhankar Banerjee's "Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land" are unabashedly on the side of preserving the Coastal Plain. I think they got it right.

The final section of the book contains profiles of eight of the refuges selected for their beauty and diversity.

In his introduction, Eric Dolin writes -- "The refuge system is a priceless gift. It reflects the great diversity of the tapestry of life and commitment of the United States to wildlife conservation." His book demonstrates the truth of these assertions and provides many reasons to hope that our nation's commitment will only grow stronger.

Reasons for Hope

Celebrating the 100th Birthday of the National Wildlife Refuges, this book is a revealing and oft inspiring account of the history of the refuges and the closely allied conservation movement. Accompanying the text are stunning photographs of the wildlife and lands they have preserved.

The story begins with a heartbreaking description of the wanton destruction of wildlife from the time the colonists arrived through the 19th Century. Some species were driven to extinction and many more were threatened by that fate. In the latter half of the 19th century, individuals and groups struggled to stem this desecration of our heritage to little avail.

Many argued that only Federal government action could protect wildlife from the excesses of a market driven economy. While there were some steps in that direction during the late 1800's, the seminal event came in 1903 when Teddy Roosevelt established Pelican Island in Florida as the first National Wildlife Refuge.

In the century since, the refuge system has steadily grown to its current count of 538 refuges in all 50 states. Throughout this history, there have been continual battles with those who sought to use the refuges for activities detrimental to wildlife. Finally, in 1977 the dominant purpose of the refuges to protect wildlife was made the law of the land.

Unfortunately, there is one crucial exception. A political compromise at the time of its creation left the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- also known as the "American Serengeti" -- vulnerable to devastating oil development. The author chronicles the origin of that controversy and its evolution to the present time.

The final section of the book contains profiles of eight of the refuges selected for their beauty and diversity.

In his introduction, Eric Dolin writes -- "The refuge system is a priceless gift. It reflects the great diversity of the tapestry of life and commitment of the United States to wildlife conservation." His book demonstrates the truth of these assertions and provides many reasons to hope that our nation's commitment will only grow stronger.

Accessibly written and superbly organized by Eric Jay Dolin, Smithsonian Book Of National Wildlife Refuges is a most engaging history of the system of 538 wildlife refuges that exist among all fifty of the United States. The intricate text discusses the travails, conservation efforts, ecology and more of America's wildlife refuges while gorgeous full-color natural photographs by John and Karen Hollingsworth of wilderness and wildlife add a special, vivid touch. A highly recommended giftbook for nature lovers, the Smithsonian Book Of National Wildlife Refuges would make an excellent Memorial Fund acquisition for either academic or community library collections.

I am not an expert on the Civil War much less on the battle of Antietam but as a read about the substance of battle for the muscat-holding soldier in any Civil War engagement, Priest's book is about as good as is available. The wealth of primary sources-letters, diaries,newspaper articles,anything that illuminates this battle from the viewpoint of the average soldier, is brought into his examination. The result is a compilation of incidents that gives essence to the terror and, in modern view, numbing bravery of the action's soldiers were ordered to undertake as a matter of course-not as something only asked under extraordinary circumstances. The reader must ponder the nature of the glue that bound men to do things that any sane person would find impossible-yet the impossible was normally asked and just as normally undertaken. Antietem: A Soldier's Battle should be read by any person unfamiliar with the Civil War as the first book they read because it will give the reader a grasp of the nature of the conflict from the receiving end of muscat volleys and cannonballs in full sight bouncing along the ground ready to shatter any living creature in its path. I had not encountered any book from any period of history that cast any light on the subject of animals in war-specifically the horses that pulled the artillery or provided transport for officers. Again, Priest's book was very illuminating in these dark corners of often forgotten history. Read this book-you will not regret it.

I "fought" (and won :) the battle of Antietam in junior high as part of my American history class so this battle has always been particularly interesting to me. It is a shame that it is usually lost among some of the more famous battles of the Civil War (like nearby Gettysburg) in most histories becase it wasn't stratigically important. It was the bloodiest single day of the war and this book brings home the true horror of battle and the incredible heroism of the combatants in a very well researched, hour by hour account of the fighting. This book is put together from the individual accounts of the soldiers on the ground placed into the framework of the overall battle. In reading this book I was constantly amazed at the bravery and stamina exhibited by the farmboys and shop clerks on both sides throughout the course of the battle. This isn't a casual read. The author is long on detail and lets the accounts of the soldiers provide the drama. Oh, and if you are ever out in western Maryland go see the battlefield (and take this book). There is no development out there and the area isn't much changed from 150 years ago. If you see it after reading this book I can guarentee that you will get chills up your spine looking out over the cornfield and realizing that you could walk its length by only stepping on the bodies of the fallen.

This book is a "must read" for the serious Civil War buff interested in Antietam. Priest gives you the battle from the perspective of those who fought it, in the actual chronology of the battle. The many maps are some of the most detailed I have ever seen of the battlefield - you can locate within a few feet where a particular company stood at a particular time. In addition, Priest simply tells what happened - again, in great detail. He thankfully does not editorialize or moralize (unlike Sears in "Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam"). This book ranks up there with "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War" by Johnson and Buel as one of the truly great, unbiased works about Antietam. ... Priest has also written a book on the few days preceeding Antietam, called, "Before Antietam: The Battle for South Mountain" - another gem!

The classic game of cat and mouse is an evergreen of the mystery genre, and few practice it better than John Sandford and his creation, Minneapolis police detective Lucas Davenport. This is ably demonstrated in the sixth book in the Prey series, "Night Prey."

Davenport, hired back by the new police chief to investigate their toughest cases, is pursuing one of the most violent killers he's ever encountered. The unknown perpetrator commits acts of extreme brutality against women, murdering with incredible force and viciousness.

As always, Sandford keeps the plot interesting and the action swift, leading us through the investigation along with Davenport as he unravels the Gordian knot of clues and evidence. At the same time, the author gives us the killer's viewpoint, showing us a glimpse of his twisted mind. Sandford excels at this type of parallel storytelling, upping the urgency of Lucas catching the nutcase before he kills again.

If you haven't yet had the joy of reading this excellent series, I recommend you start with the first book ("Rules of Prey") and enjoy some of the best writing in the genre.

Don't read this book!

If you're reading this, I assume you haven't read the series up to Night Prey. If you had, you wouldn't waste your time reading reviews. There would be no question. There would be no hesitation. You'd be reading Night Prey.

So since you haven't read the series to this point, start at Rules of Prey. Follow with Shadow Prey, Eyes of Prey, Silent Prey, and Winter Prey. Then it's time for this.

Night Prey is a solid addition to the series to this point. While it doesn't quite stand up to the level of excellence established in the preceding three volumes, it's still a compelling story with memorable characters. And while the main story is one of pure suspense, with any real element of mystery sacrificed to study the villain, Sandford weaves in a subplot which is classic "locked door" (as another reviewer puts it). It's nicely done.

A question for those who've read the book : If SSA is backwards, is SJ as well? What's the author's name?

This was the third book from the Davenport series that I have read and easily the best. I liked the feeling of impending doom with the main characters racing against time to catch the killer before he can strike again and before one of the investigators dies of cancer. The eventual solution of this pending collision caught me by surprise. And, in case this wasn't enough, Sandford threw in a locked room murder mystery as a clever subplot. If anyone in Hollywood ever wants to bring a Lucas Davenport thriller to the screen, this would be a good one to start with.

Steinbeck is expert at weaving a tale! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Readers who enjoy adventure, traveling, and experiencing new things will love this book. Travels with Charley is an interesting novel that is almost biographical in the sense that it tells a lot about Steinbeck himself, and his own experiences while traveling across America. The author's descriptions of places such as the Salinas Valley are made so real that I can almost imagine I was there, at that time. While reading this book it is important to not rush through it because it is better understood and enjoyed if you are relaxed while reading. All of the sights are seen through Steinbeck's eyes and retold as Steinbeck sees them. This book also supports the theme that companionship is essential to survival. The companionship and comfort that Charley,the poodle, gives Steinbeck is vital and very necessary. Not only does Charley protect his master, but he is Steinbeck's lifelong friend. Their bond is truly inseparable. Besides this theme, the author touches a little on other topics such as racism in the South, defining the national identity of America and its people, and the loneliness as well as the benevolence of Americans in different geographical regions. As a result of reading Travels with Charley:In Search of America, I want to travel again. My spirit of adventure has come alive!

A guy - a dog - a camper truck named Rocinante(in case you don't know and I didn't--that is the name of Don Quixote's horse.) This is Steinbeck's account of a road trip around the U.S. He traveled via RV before thousands took it up when only a few traveled via camper trucks. It's a 1960 trip with humor, pathos, and keen observation in which Steinbeck sees America from the grass roots.

I loved Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday. I adored East of Eden and The Wayward Bus. I have been reading Steinbeck all of my life. I have seen every movie ever made based on any story he has penned( I mean penciled). This one is the winner for me. I loved his account of everything he saw, but I especially loved the parts about his traveling companion, a 12 year old large French poodle named Charley. Can't travel - read this and you will be making a journey of heart and soul. Like history - it's here. Love America - now you will even more.

I was a baby when Steinbeck married; I was a young teacher when he took this trip. I was a mother of two when his bright candle went out and yet this story is classic - it is contemporary and ageless. My husband and I took turns reading it and shared the laughs and joys. Thanks to Operation Windmills(Steinbeck's original title) I can hardly wait to hit the road again next year. Travels with Charley - a great read!

I'm german, but I spent a year in America and I had to write an essay about the book. I didn't know what it was about when I started reading, but after a few pages Steinbeck caught my attention with his way of writing. I was really impressed how he described his feelings towards the journey. After reading "Of mice and men" I had to correct the view I had of John Steinbeck. The way he describes people is just amazing. I mainly read the book to compare the characters I meet during my year in Kansas with those in the book. But not just the people intested me, also how much the society has changed in 40 years. And I was surprised. Steinbeck previewed several themes that are of importance nowadays. for example the enviromental pronlems we have. Also the lack of interest in political matters. But without Charley the book would never be what it is. One laughs about him(yellostone national Park) but one the other hand one suffers when Charley feel bad. I liked to read the book, because it is written in an easy to understad language. That' why I rated the book 5.

Just finished prepping for the NT Server 4.0 Exam using this book as the main study guide. Very well laid out with good use of text/colors, very typical of the New Riders Next Generation Study guides. Exam covers a VERY broad range of info and the book does a good job of covering it all. The author is very knowledgable and brings his practical experience to the book. My only complaint is the low number of study questions in each chapter. Recommend adding the Exam Cram book for those study questions. Also would not recommend the MS Press study kits, they are not worth the $$$ (unless you need the 30 day eval. software) and it helps to have a non-Microsoft point of view...

Overall this is an excellent book to use as your main study guide, but I would also suggest using another source of information. The Enterprise exam that I took had several indepth questions relating to the IIS 3 as well as other topics that were gone over only briefly in the book.

Overall a good purchase, as long as it's not your only source.

This book is well written, making it easy to read and understand. The content layout is also well done, making it easy to see exactly what is required to know for each exam objective. There is some small detailed information missing but I found that the practice tests identified this information to you anyway, so overall the content is adequate (the Sybex books I'm using, also have information missing). I did notice questions in the real exam relating to previous exams, so I would recommend doing the subjects in the following order: Networking Essentials, NT Workstation4, NT Server4, NT Server4:Enterprise. I found the practice exams to be an invaluable aid for studying for the exam and they are similar to the real exam. I used the Sybex books for my elective subjects, and found them to be very poorly written. The Sybex books were not easy to read and understand and the content was layed out in a poor way, making them hard to identify information for each exam objective.