"Annoyingly" this page is devoted to the stories of Dylan Thomas; also"annoyingly", both the Publishers Weekly review as well as that of a disgrunted reader refer stories by Leslie Norris; Norris' book may be splendid; I don't know; I have read Dylan's stories and honor and love them (they are live things wearing incandescent prose -- believe me); perhaps Amazon could reassign the aforementioned reviews and those of us who -- on this page at least -- have (happily) written about the appropriate book will be left to bask unannoyed.

Annoyingly, both of the reviews already posted on this page for the "Collected Stories" of Welsh writer Leslie Norris refer to the "Collected Stories" of Welsh writer Dylan Thomas, which Leslie Norris designed but did not (obviously) write. This review, then, is an actual review of Leslie Norris' "Collected Stories"!

Leslie Norris's collected stories are a sort of bittersweet beauty very much in the Joycean tradition (think especially of "Dubliners"). They begin with some sort of pivotal moment at which confusion either enters into or peaks in the protagonist's young life, and they end with an epiphany that seems sweetly to keep the bitter at bay, but knows that the respite is at best only temporary.

Also a poet (see his "Collected Poems" as well), like fellow Welshman Thomas, Norris's language is simple but fresh, and sumptuous when necessary, a prose tone perfectly in step with the state of his protagonists. Often (if not always), they are young boys on the brink of a knowledge that will disillusion them and send them closer to the concerns of adulthood.

In "Sliding," an accident during an afternoon of sliding across a frozen pond upsets a group of boys, their first initiation into the idea of impermanence. In "Kingfisher," a boy, who has just been with his father to visit his dying grandmother, sees in the garden the dead body of a bird that he and his father had only that morning watched together; in a moment of suddenly adult consciousness, he takes it upon himself to conceal the bad news of mortality from his father. In "Shaving," one of my faves from the collection, an athlete in the full strength of youth returns triumphant from the rugby field to shave his ailing father, who, in the full fading of disease, is too weak to shave himself.

This volume collects Norris's previous two (unfortunately long out-of-print) books, "Sliding" and "The Girl from Cardigan," putting them together with a few new stories in book form for the first time.

Norris excels at awakening emotion, but is subtle enough and careful enough not to hit you over the head with the hammer of sentimentality. If you appreciate and enjoy fiction that looks at those moments that we all know, where we begin to feel ourselves a part of the knowledge that life ends up teaching everyone sooner or later, then this book is a terrific buy.

Was Dylan thomas the consummate craftsman? Indeed, he was; and took real delight in his gifts and his exercise of them; he was a Celtic bard in the truest sense of that role -- the lonely public/private man who carried within him the lyric history of his race, the love of his language and a very vocal sense of wonder over his role in life; that he had song, yes; that he was funny, loud, boisterous, cautious, selfish, rude, unforgettable -- all of that and more; he was the poet's poet and the singer for those who longed for lost boyhood, who raged at death and who marvelled at the all the world's words rediscovered in a dewdrop; his stories, like his poems, should be read aloud; there is an incantatory quality to them -- as if something profoundly old and grandfatherly were suddenly shared with the reader; Thomas himself was a great reader; to hear him is to savor him at his best and to feel deeply and sweetly the majesty and holy compulsion of our mother tongue; the stories, while less charged than the poems, nonetheless captivate and break into a kind of lyricism that gladdens the heart and restores the ear. If he wasn't the best of our poets, he was easily the most tuneful and spoke from a very deep place that only the purest of us can truly know.

This book goes way beyond the usual movie companion book genre or the groupie can't get enough photos of the leading guy (or gal) genre for a very simple reason - its terrific design.

After flipping through a few pages, I knew I was in for a visual treat. Great layouts - the more powerful images rightly stand alone in a spread, while background and other less important photographs appear side by side. Creative use of color - Black and white photos are often on wonderful purple or red backgrounds that make them jump and don't distract. Great graphic and type choices are everywhere. Congratulations go to the book's creative team. The credits from Vision On Publishing list "Book Design by Nuisance" and "Reprographics by AJD" - great work.

Of particular note was the well-balanced choice of photos and interviews to include. Normally, movie books have way too many shots of the name-brand stars. Of course we hear from Guy Ritchie and Brad Pitt in Snatch, but great coverage of extras, production people and even Holly the Dog (who gets a two-page spread) make this more than the usual fanzine. In fact, its more like a coffee table art book.

If youv'e not yet read this book, you need to do so now, to put it simply, although difficult, is that it is an amazing insight into the creation and the characters that star in the film, from their character traits to their own personalities comming through into the making of the film. The comical attitude of each character is an exception to the book, giving it a humorous yet serious and 'real' content. This book is definately a must buy for Snatch fans, and espcially for those who have not yet seen the film.

This is a well-produced book and was worth the wait (I first placed an order for it in October). This book features many photos I had never seen before on nice thick pages. Some of the photos were full page and some covered two pages. There were over two dozen pics featuring Brad Pitt. Most of the photos are pretty good resolution though some are a bit blurred. Overall, a pretty good book. As for what it says ... the text was very little but always very amusing. Since I bought it for the photos, this did not matter. Buy it while you can!

For anyone interested in understanding the cultural phenomenom that is Bob Jones University, this book is a must. There is no substitute for this detailed, documented history of the school.

As a former student, I can better appreciate Bob Jones University after reading this excellent history book. I was not aware of all the struggles that this institution went through. BJU is still a working miracle.

This book is an answer to the questions and rumors that circulate in today's world! It is an accurate history of Bob Jones University founded by Dr. Bob Jones in 1927. It explains its beginnings, struggles and unwavering Biblical stands that has made it what it is today.

with this purchase. This little book can really help those on the journey to publication. I enjoyed the practical approach and also the humorous anecdotes. I've highlighted the 10-point attack plan for my own book promotion.

Excellent source of information and humorous insights that independently published authors will find valuable.

I loved this account of Aviators. Rock On

If you like and use Lotus Word Pro this is a great guide to get the best out of the product. Dan shows you things that I think are difficult to learn on your own. You can use the book either as a Word Pro tutorial or as a reference book and its not often you can do that with manuals. Also Dan seems to know when to stop; you get just the right amount of information to do the job. Essential reading!

It is difficult to know where to begin. This book is a must have for any archaeologist who works in the Great Basin. However, It would be of benefit to anyone who works in North America. Beck put together a splendid volume that includes articles by many of the movers and shakers in Basin archaeology. The title describes the contents of the book, with a review of important archaeological questions and models that Basinists were dealing with in the past and how that leads up to what we are doing now. My copy is already well worn.

This book is better than "The Machine That changed the World." For that matter this book is more useful than most in the field, and not just for lean thinking. James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones are unique in the approach this book takes in trying to understand the existing industry and realistic ways to implement lean thinking.

The major thing I found that helped me to read this book is that they are writing this book as some god consultant that tells how he single-handedly corrected a company as their all knowing all and seeing consultant. They took several industries and companies that there is no vested interest in and explain with realistic diagrams, how lean thinking differs from most traditional concepts and procedures.

The only thing I found disturbing was how they make the existing systems seem more complex than they are (The creation of soda cans from bauxite to bottler) and simplified the recycling procedure The point they are making is clear, It is just the way they show the examples that are skewed. It is like trying to sell a microwave egg cooker and telling you that this way the bacon grease will not splatter on your naked body. So who cooks eggs naked? And what if you still want bacon?

They describe that lean thinking is not just, an other form of existing systems, as MRP or JIT. I only wish they did not try to use so many Japanese words when the English ones work just fine.

Ignoring my quirks, this book is up to date and maybe ahead of its time. However while we just talk about other systems, we are implementing this one as we speak.

As a strategic planning consultant, I recommend 'Lean Thinking' to all of my clients. Some mistakenly view this book as a 'how to' for manufacturing companies. While it is, it is also much more. It is an attitude about business strategy. Waste, in any type of company, drains profits in one of two ways: as direct costs that they can see today, and as indirect costs when waste discourages repeat business. For any business manager worth his or her six figure income, this book is a must read.

Unlike most cost-reduction books, Lean Thinking has a strong conceptual underpinning for thinking about improving your operations. The authors move beyond the narrowest application of the lean manufacturing model (the original Toyota system) to explore key concepts like value (what do the customers want? as opposed to what do they choose from the limited options we give them?), flow (continuous production is faster and more efficient than batch processing), pull (letting immediate demand determine what is produced rather than sales projections), and perfection (thinking through the ideal way to do things, rather than just improving from where you are today somewhat). Providing this conceptual framework makes it easier to understand the benefits of operating a lean enterprise. People who did not understand the message in Direct from Dell would find Lean Thinking to be a useful framework.

One of the strengths of this book is that it is deliberately full of examples of companies which took traditional methods in existing plants and converted them into lean operations. I know of no other set of case histories half as useful on this subject.

The key limitation of this book is that most people new to lean manufacturing would not be able to implement solely using the book as a guide. The conceptual perspective, while being uniquely valuable, leaves the inexperienced person with few guideposts. Some of the key requirements are simply described as "get the knowledge" and so forth. As a follow-up, I suggest that the authors team with those who have done this work and write a hands-on guide. Much more benefit will follow.

If you are interested in understanding how a new business model of how to provide your products and/or services might work and what the benefits might be, Lean Thinking is a good place to start. Most executives and operations managers have never seriously considered going from batch to cell-based production. This will open your eyes to the potential.

Based on my many years of experience with improving business processes, you will actually need to go visit some of the companies cited to fully understand the issues and what must be done. I know that visits to Pratt & Whitney can be arranged and are very insightful. You might try to start with that one.

One area may turn you off. The cited examples moved forward pretty ruthlessly. That may not be your cup of tea. You may be reminded of some of the early reengineering. My own experience is that such changes can be done in a more positive and constructive way. Stay open to that possibility as you read the cases. They basically all use command and control to create more flexibility. You can also use other methods like those encouraged in The Soul at Work and The Living Company to create these kinds of results. Keep that in mind.

I recommend that everyone who uses batch and sequential operation methods read this book. It will open your eyes to great potential to grow faster and more profitably.

I am very impressed with this first novel by author Daniel H. Jones. Quite a swashbuckling story; had me on the edge of my seat throughout. Opens with a mysterious death on the high seas that pulls readers in quickly.

St. Jude's Secret stars attorney Bobby Grace, who is placed on the case of the death of Cilton Roy, an able-bodied and healthy seaman employed by Leviathan Lines. Once the investigation starts, Bobby finds ties to a New Orleans mob family and genetically altered coffee. And to top it all off, the Cashio mob are no strangers -- Bobby's got something personal against them and the perfect opportunity for justice.

Surrounding this action-packed story is Bobby's girlfriend, Magda (for the romantic in you), and a lively New Orleans backdrop that will have you scrambling for your travel agent. Daniel Jones has set these pages on fire with it's vivid detail and fast-paced dialogue. Prepare to become totally enraptured.

If you're looking for a fast-paced mystery in a great location, this book is for you. The novel opens with a mysterious death on the seas, and the action doesn't stop until the very end. Bobby, a somewhat weary attorney, takes the case knowing that the defendants, a New Orleans mob family, are powerful and dangerous. To add to the chaos, Bobby's live-in girlfriend, Magda, is pregnant, but Bobby won't accept the possibility of fatherhood. In the course of the novel, Bobby finds himself in the middle of a crime ring led by the family that likely killed his father and now is looking for him. St. Jude's Secret is a wonderful first book, and I look forward to reading more of Daniel's work. I also recommend the Dave Robicheaux novels by James Lee Burke.

A real thriller with some meat to it. I am a maritime lawyer who enjoys a good legal thriller and this book hits all the high points--a great plot with some unexpected twists involving a lawyer with a conscience, a big, evil steamer line, the mob, accurate intricacies of maritime law--all set against the steamy New Orleans waterfront backdrop. I felt like I was there.

Good character development. Lawyer Bobby Grace must come to terms with his past through a hair raising experience that brings him full circle...and finally some peace.

Excellent first novel. I can't wait for the next one.

After Lucy is a wonderful book that I have shared with several friends who all enjoyed it as much as I did. I think the author balanced the sadness of the death of his wife with the mad cap hilarity of his adventures with his children and in-laws in a most engaging way. His colorful depiction of the characters kept me reading. Anyone raised in the 60's-70's will enjoy the adventures of the Dead Head campground. I am so glad to have read that book!

When Porter Ellis's wife Lucy dies after a long struggle with cancer, he is set adrift. Actually he casts himself off, with his two children in a camper of questionable integrity. His destination? Not even he is sure, he is just trying to get away from the confusion of surviving , the controlling in-laws, and the memories of Lucy. The family finds themselves stranded in the most unlikely place and is gently forced to confront their loss and to begin to rebuild the ties strained by Lucy's illness. This is a book about family, and the forces that both pull them apart and bind them. Porter has to try to begin to answer the question many left behind (and at a certain stage in life) ask..".is this what my life is?" As the story unfolds, the characters are given many layers and the story is both heartbreaking and humerous...never mawkish. This is a tender story of loss and confronting life after Lucy....a book I will read again.

After the long , lingering death of his wife, one man sets out with his two children to ...well, even he is not sure what he is setting out to do. Porter Ellis takes his two children and the impulsively acquired camper and sets out to reclaim his life. He leaves behind his well-to-do in-laws, and the remnents of the life he had with Lucy, his wife. The trip takes some unusual turns and the three find themselves forced to stop in the most unusual setting. Porter is gently forced to begin to deal with the loss of his wife, the didtance that caring for her in her last days has created with his children, and the questions often asked after death..".is what I'm doing all there is?" The affection and compassion the author has for these characters shines through, even the bigger than life characters. This was both sad and humerous...never mawkish...I think this is one of the sweetest books I have read in a long time, and it will be one I read again.