Quincy Jones, one of American's finest men of music and entertaiment wrote a mediorce book. Most of the passages read like he is just talking to a tape recorder remembering events of his life. A good ghost writer should have been considered to give the text some more arty flava. That said, I was impressed by his vast work ability and multi-faceted lifestyle. He is a true legend among the living. Like the Energizer bunny, he just keeps going and going.

The autobiography of Quincy Jones is like one of his arrangements: masterful, engaging on several levels, and state-of the-art.

Jones' life story seems MADE for a highly dramatic, award-winning t.v. or big screen movie -- and I dearly hope it'll be made into one. Musician. Producer. Businessman. Composer. Arranger. Determination and incredible talent skyrocketing him over big obstacles. It's fitting that Jones' biggest passion is music because this outstanding autobiography truly SINGS.

From the first pages, you're thrust into the drama -- and challenge -- of Jones' life. Born into a poor family, throughout most of his life (well into his adult years) Jones struggled with how to cope-with and at times how to distance himself from a mother who suffered from severe mental illness. Music became his savior and Jones embraced it like the stable motherly love which he sought and he lacked as a child. He embraced Mother Music, letting it's beauty embrace, comfort and sustain him.

There are several things that sets this book apart from other show biz bios and makes it such sheer JOY for readers of ALL ages (old fogies like me who grew up with his music as well as young folks interested in music, interested in biographies or interested in show business and the arts in general):

1.PANORAMIC STYLE. There is so much in it that we can only list a little here, such as the poignant vignette of a young, arts-smitten Jones, just discovering his musical "chops" and bonding with a blind teenage musician named Ray Charles who basically mentored and inspired him; his later associations with greats such as Sammy Davis Jr, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson and many many more.

Jackson, he writes, "wanted to be the best of everything" so he "went to the top model in each (show biz) category to create an act and a persona that would be unequalled." But "somehow later on the line between the reality and the fantasy got blurred." In the end, Jones writes, Jackson became "a total sponge, a chamelon." Jackson practiced hours and hours to perfect every single move, gesture and facial expression.

I am haunted by Jones' portrait of Sinatra. For all the tough-guy accounts elsewhere, Sinatra comes across as a noble and principled human being -- cooking Jones breakfast when he learned that Jones stayed up all night working; insisting that African-American musicians for his Vegas concert be allowed to play and get good rooms at a casino and telling his security to do significant bodily harm to any racists who harrassed them, even the slightest bit.

2)SECOND VOICES. Not all chapters are written by Jones. He also let others write their accounts about parts of his life, and not all of this material is complimentary. This adds a documentary feel and a sense of balance that most show business autobiographies lack.

3)USEFUL OBSERVATIONS. In his chapter on Michael Jackon's rise to the top of the music heap he notes that writes that he learned that "Nobody stays at the top. Nobody." Success, he writes, is "about preparation, then finding the right
opportunity" -- and that he learned that "being chronically underestimated can be a gift."

Jone's autobiography takes you through the 20th century's top musical and show business eras, and gifts you an incredible cast of famous well-etched cameos. The depth, ease, and detail of this panoramic journey is paralleled only by his private trek -- from poverty to aspiration to success, all amid personal family tragedies. In the end, we see a man (and artist) who constantly survived and triumphed due to his humanity -- and his unceasing personal growth.

Quincy Jones embodies the best of what it means to be fully human. He's always been on the cutting edge, at least a generation ahead of everyone else: in movies, in theater, in television, and, of course, in music. Now, in the disguise of an artist, he transcends art into healing.

This is a great book and works on so many different levels: as intimate biography, as powerful literature, and the story of one who transcended suffering into healing. And what an interesting life!

But this is more than just a fascinating story. He offers a wise roadmap to self-discovery and wholeness, both individually and culturally. Read it and be inspired by his courage and wisdom.

Somehow, the corrosive idea that the evil guy is interesting and the good guy is boring has entered popular culture, especially in rap and hip-hop. Only an artist of Quincy Jones' stature could show by extraordinary example even to the most angry and dispossessed that it is possible to be both loving and cool, generous and hip, selfless and self-fulfilled--and that it's a lot more fun and exciting to live this way. Come for the music and stay for the love.

Remember, this was published in 1990, and today is out of date. If you have come looking for specific examples, or secrets of how the Japanese have been making such huge gains, THIS IS NOT FOR YOU. The book is great from a historical standpoint, but it misses totally on any detailed examples of what Toyota has done. Anyone in manufacturing who has not heard of work-circles or suggestion boxes, would probably find this a great read with lots of info, but for the rest of us, this is just a history book. Go for Lean Thinking instead.

The Machine that Changed the World has been published more than once. Amazon, you're offering a special "buy these 2 titles, and save", but they are the exact same book.

This book is about a major study that has been executed in the beginning of the eighties about the competiveness of car manufacturing plants. Now we know that the Japense manufacturing is not that supriour after all this book is still a great book to read. For two reasons. First because its give a clear idea about how you can run a succesfull manufacturing plant and secondly because its give you a beautifull insight about a time when both Europe and the USA were affraid to loss it all to the Japanse. A classic on both business and industrial engineering

This book was excellent and informative. However, readers should know that it is written in a research style, almost like a text book (sometimes putting the reader to sleep-and the reason I am only rating it four stars), as opposed to being written by an investigative reporter (and reading like a thriller). The book is extremely well documented. The author was intimately involved with helping lawyer Gray (Rosa Parks' lawyer) prosecute the case against the federal government, by providing much of the documentation given in this book. He began work on the book while a student in Harvard's bioethics program in 1972, and only subsequently becoming involved with lawyer Gray.

The book is a complete history from the conception of the experiment, until its termination, including the viewpoints of ALL participants. In addition to learning about the experiment itself, I learned a lot about life in the rural American South, which I had not previously known, and a lot about the disease of syphilis that I hadn't known. Some examples: I didn't know that 30-40 percent of blacks in the rural South were infected, nor that the disease crosses the placental barrier, which caused a lot of syphilitic babies. The book includes pictures of syphilitic skin lesions, and discusses multiple complications of the late stages of the disease.

The book also delves into the moral and racial issues extensively. There is an updated chapter at the end comparing the syphilis crisis to the AIDS crisis, and discusses why so many blacks are distrustful of doctors and hospitals-this experiment simply being one of the most recent examples of how this segment of our society as lied to, and taken advantage of.

What was MOST shocking to me about this book was that I was born in 1955, and this experiment continued into the mid-1970's. The FIRST time it was questioned on moral grounds was about 1962, and throughout the 60's, most doctors did not even QUESTION the morality! The story was broken the same day as Sargent Shiver's having obtained psychiatric counseling-the latter story I heard about extensively, and the former not at all! Before buying this book, I had never even heard of this medical experiment, and I just can't believe things like this were taking place IN
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA until the mid-1970's!!!

Jones has written an outstanding book which will likely make all readers question the ethics of human experimentation and why doctors choose the patients they do. The book covers the history of the Tuskeegee experiment, a study of the effects of untreated syphilis, or "bad blood," on poor black men in the South, from the 1930's to the 1970's. All of the players in the story, from the doctors, to the nurses, to the patients themselves are discussed in outstanding detail.

The syphilis study was unquestioned when it began, as many doctors did not render treatment for syphilis, which could often be much worse than the cure. However, the experiment continued for almost forty years after the development of penicillin, which would have provided a ready cure for most of the subjects and not risk exposing their wives and children to infection. The experimenters took a great deal of trouble to ensure that their patients did not receive effective treatment for syphilis anywhere. The book's additional chilling reminder is that, on top of all the human suffering caused by this study, it had no scientific value whatsoever, as many of the subjects had been treated in some way, and there were other studies on the effects of syphilis.

The concluding chapter is newly written to detail the linkages between the Tuskeegee experiment and the current AIDS crisis. This chapter discusses the reasons why many American blacks think the virus is targeted towards their communities.

I loved the loving care with which this book was written. The horror of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study was that there truly was no evil intent on the part of the doctors involved, and all believed that the "patients" truly benefitted, receiving health care they otherwise would not have received for other ailments that they could not have afforded treatment for otherwise. In fact, the Tuskegee "patients" received health care for aches and pains that neither their neighbors nor even their wives and children were able to access, because of their "privileged" status as part of the "government study." Placing the story squarely in the context of its time, Jones does not excuse those who bear the responsibility for the choices they made regarding the men involved in the study, but attempts to explain to the best of his ability why those in authority made the decisions they made, even to the point of placing a black nurse in the pivotal position of overseeing the consistency of the study and maintaining contact with the study "subjects" while the doctors themselves were rotated every year as part of their own "educational" history. Even Tuskegee itself was run by black doctors who chose to look the other way when they knew, had to know, the detrimental decisions that were being made. That is how power works. That is how it worked then, and that is how it works today. Is it because of Tuskegee that the Public Health System lacks credibility? Or is it because of the ongoing and persistent ignorance and incompetence of the Public Health System itself? The system is infested with politics, funding fiascos and unethical practices. It didn't start with Tuskegee, and it certainly didn't end there. This is a very important part of the story, and should be mandated reading for anyone who wants to understand the controverted manipulations of the Public Health System. It is only the beginning, however. Don't stop there.

Peter Spier certainly deserves all the praise he has received for this lovely book. Still, I have to admit to feeling heartbroken -- even at my age -- by the pictures of the doomed animals for whom there is no space on board, watching the Ark forlornly as the waters rise around them.

Yes, that's how the story goes, but perhaps parents might want to decide in advance how to respond if their child asks anxious questions about what will happen to the animals left outside.

This book won Peter Spier the coveted Caldecott Medal for the best illustrated children's book in 1978. Most Caldecott Medal winners enhance the story with illustrations. But a few transcend the written material by becoming the story. Noah's Ark is of the latter category.

The book opens with a scene of brutal war on the left hand page. On the right hand page is the image of Noah tending to his agricultural tasks. The words at the bottom of the page say simply, " . . . But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." Next, there is a translation of a Dutch poem written by Jacobus Revins that tells the briefest outline of the Noah saga. The rest of the book until the last page is wordless. The final page shows Noah after the flood tending to his agriculture with the words, " . . . and he planted a vineyard."

The illustrations provide nonverbal stories about Noah. You see the enormous task it was to build an ark, the difficulties of rounding up all the animals, the even greater challenges of taking care of them during the flood on the ark, and the process of returning to the land as the waters receded. By using only illustrations, you and your child have some latitude as to how you wish to interpret the story. You can be very literal, or you can be more poetic. A lot depends on how sensitive your child is. I can remember feeling frightened as a young child to realize that God could choose to destroy virtually all life on Earth.

The illustrations are brilliant for portraying perspective. The ark is made to appear enormous. Yet there are some illustrations during the flood where the ark is clearly tiny in the context of the worldwide ocean.

There are a lot of stories within the story. For example, the sequence where the dove is released and brings back a sprig of leaves from dry land is quite interesting. Many themes are carried out in a number of ways as well, including the notion of being a loyal servant. You can have many wonderful discussions about why God directed Noah to act as he did, and what the lessons are for today.

The colors and use of pen to fill in details are quite rewarding, as are the delicate individual watercolor images within thoughtfully planned out compositions. Noah has a benign and spiritual appeal in these representations that make him seem like someone you would want to spend time with. Rather than seeing him as remote and hard to understand, your child will probably appreciate Noah as a version of a friendly, supportive grandfather. The promise for the future is wonderfully captured by a gorgeous rainbow at the end. The overall feeling of these cartoons is not unlike the work of Walt Disney's studio animators during the 1930s.

One potential way to enjoy this book even more is to write out your own version of the story, as dictated by your youngster. As she or he matures, you can write new versions that your youngster creates. He or she will probably enjoy seeing these in the future, as a wonderful momento of growing up.

Another interesting alternative is to take another well-known story, and to create a totally illustrated version with no words.

Get to the heart of any important story, in order to grasp all of its meaning.

My 4-year-old son was completely smitten with this book the first time we read it. He loved to look at all the details; the illustrations are wonderful. The book beaufully portrays God's vengeance and God's ultimate love. What struck me was the accuracy of the biblical story that so many of today's Noah's Ark books overlook or twist: - the length of time the flood waters took to receed - enough time for the animals to procreate (especially the bunnies!); - that God chose Noah, not that Noah was some sort of savior who, on his own, saved mankind; - the depravity of humanity (a city on fire); - the mess and smell of animal waste and the hard work to care for the animals - it shows Noah shoveling manure.

I strongly recommend Peter Spier's "Noah's Ark" for anyone who is interested in teaching children biblical truths so often secularized in today's world and also for the beautiful illustrations and details.

The testing software in this package is great - I used it extensively after studying for my A+ exams to help me realize where I needed more work. The test engine generates a variety of adaptive or regular tests and includes information about the difficulty of the questions and the areas you missed when you get your score. It also allows you to review each wrong answer and it provides a paragraph or so on why th answer was wrong or right.

The rest of the software was basically an online version of the Exam Cram book. I thought the book was fine, but I used Meyers' All-in-One A+ certification Exam Guide instead. I thought the material was much better, the illustrations were mor helpful, and it better covered the material for the two exams. I don't think an exam cram book can effectively cover all the material for both exams - maybe one, but not both.

Did I mention that this book is excellent? Before I read this book, I was somewhat knowledgable on computers. Now that I have completed it, I took both the Core and DOS/Windows and scored high 600 (adaptive). I could not have made that score without this book. This book answered so many questions I had. Even if you are not going for A+ Certification, I would highly recommend this book to ANYONE who wants to know what makes a computer "tick". The CD is nice, although the questions on the practice test seem a bit outdated. 4 stars for the CD

The book + test software? Exellent!

Following the schism of 1900, when the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (one of the 19th century's most advanced organizations of practicing magicians) broke apart into separate groups, the young Aleister Crowley, a high grade initiate of the Order, became disallusioned. Feeling that the Order had abrogated its spiritual mandate in favor of internal social friction, Crowley left Europe in a search for the roots of that mandate. Returning to England in 1909, Crowley reformulated the spiritual system of the original Golden Dawn, amplifying it with eastern yoga techniques he had studied with Saivites in India and Buddhists in Sri Lanka. The result is one of the West's most uncompromising, comprehensive and sophisticated courses of spiritual cultivation. This book is a detailed presentation of that course of training, whose name Crowley concealed by the initials A.'.A.'.. Following Crowley's death in 1947, the original A.'.A.'. organization has gradually evolved and expanded to encompass a number of independently operating lineages, who look to the original system's structure to guide their modern operations. This A.'.A.'. system is probably one of the most talked about and least understood aspects of the Crowley legacy. This book goes a very long way towards righting that imbalance - by presenting the founder's normative conception of the Order's sequence of work. Each grade from Student through Exempt Adept is discussed in turn, always with an eye towards the actual practice of the requisite tasks. The insight this provides into the architecture and spiritual intent of the system is tremendous. I first aquired the older 2nd edition of this book in 1997, and it changed and deepened my entire understanding of Thelemic Magick. That edition was spiral bound and privately distributed. This welcome new edition has been extensively augmented with additional text, professional binding, and lavish illustrations. In many ways it is finally getting the presentation it deserves. The author, James Eshelman, has been an initiate of A.'.A.'. for over 20 years and is a student of Phyllis Seckler, who at 84 (in 2000) is one of the seniormost living representatives of A.'.A.'., having been initiated in the 1930's. The Jane Wolfe, or Soror Estai lineage of A.'.A.'. which derives through Phyllis and her own teacher Jane Wolfe has been initiating now for something like 30 years, and Eshelman therefore brings his own and his lineage's experience to the text. The book is not written only for Estai initiates, however, though it does provide much facinating information on the history and protocols of the author's own A.'.A.'. line. The book details the normative system as laid out by its' founders which is held in common, at least in spirit if not always in practice, by all A.'.A.'. groups. There is also prevision for solo individual working of the system. My highest recommendation.

I've been a student of Aleister Crowley's writings for over 30 years. This book is the best of its kind! Never, until now, have I read so much solid information on Thelemic magick and mysticism between two covers. Mr. Eshelman has described the A.'.A.'. grades, as his title says, "step by step." He describes a thorough course of spiritual training leading from the earliest beginning stages to the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel -- what other systems might call conscious union with God -- and beyond. It's hard to get complete information on these topics, even if you read every Crowley book there is. But he has it all here. Plenty of solid information, packed from beginning to end. What I liked best: It's a comprehensive discussion of the A.'.A.'. training and testing in magick, yoga, and Kabbalah. Yet at the same time, the book has personality! You get a clear feeling that there are real people doing this miraculous magical and spiritual work today -- not just some obscure dead people -- real 21st Century folks. And you get some flavor of what they might be like. It's clear that this is a living tradition, not a curio of history. I'm glad he didn't sterilize it to death. There is also plenty of new perspective and insight so that even old, familiar information is made new and fascinating. And he avoided the politicization which has so often marred writings on this sort of topic, focussing on the work and its principles rather than on squabbles of personalities. And yes, like other reviewers have said, the book is very nicely made. I'd like to have a few more quality hardcovers like this in my library. Especially when they're as good on the inside as on the outside, like this one.

I got my first copy of this book in 1993 in a home-grown photocopy shop edition. It is a real pleasure to see the book has matured, through three editions, to a beautiful, high quality hard cover edition. About content? If you gather and organize all of the notes and remarks and instructions about the A.'.A.'. from every Aleister Crowley book you've ever seen, you will be close to having the sparse skeleton of this book by James Eshelman -- but very little of its flesh. Life is breathed into it by the many years of the author's personal experience in the A.'.A.'. grades as aspirant, and later as teacher to others. He not only knows the facts, but really understands the system of magick, mysticism, and spiritual progress, and explains it so the reader can understand it too. The book rocks! Eshelman is the clearest and most intelligent writer on Thelema in the last 20 years. His work is solidly grounded in the traditions -- he has always been known for doing his homework -- but he also reaches past the traditional. While others are indulging in reprint after reprint (usually of someone else's work!), he is known for building on the foundations of his predecessors without simply disregarding them or attempting to demolish them. You won't see as much of the innovative in this particular work, since its main purpose seems to be to explain and deliver the A.'.A.'. system, step by step, as established by its founders, Aleister Crowley and George Cecil Jones. Too much author innovation would have weakened this particular book; but, as an example, he's the first writer I have ever seen remark that all of the various themes and tasks traditional to the 6=5 Grade (Adeptus Major) are summarized in the doctrines of Karma Yoga. By mentioning this, he makes all of those themes come alive. He's the only one to explain clearly what Liber Mysteriorum is, and its relationship to the Dominus Liminis grade tasks. The 6=5 and 7=4 chapters are much expanded and improved compared to the first edition seven years ago; they seem to come much more from personal experience and understanding, whereas they used to sound much more theoretical (as they probably were back then). The book itself is very well made. The binding, in particular, looks as if it will last a lifetime. This new edition has 70-80 photographs and illustrations, is very well organized, and both practical and inspiring. I wish it had an index, but will have to settle for a very complete Table of Contents.

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.

These tapes will help you pass the A+ exam. But be aware that there is some wrong information on the tapes. An example is the Dos boot sequence. So don't make this your only guide. The "Dummies" book is good except for the Dos section,and the original Exam Cram book can be very helpful.

First there was the Exam Prep and your excuse was the book was to thick to read. Then the Exam Cram came out and the excuse was this was not enough information. Then we have the Exam Cram Flash Cards and there weren't enough questions. Now there is the Exam Cram Audio Book and there is no more excuses left.

What this 4-tape collection gives you is the perfect add-on to the Coriolis line of training material on the A+ Certification. Alone these tapes will not give you enough information to pass, so you will need more reference material to study from.

What these tapes do give you is a great traveling companion, a last minute brush up and in my case some information that was completely touch on in the other Coriolis books. The tapes cover every objective of the exam and the 4th tape in a review and questions tape.

I think that Coriolis has really got something here and if they expand this series to the exam prep books they would have another sure-fire winner. This set of tapes costs $39.99 and this is a small price in comparison to what you gain from passing the exam. Thanks again Coriolis!

Use whatever books you want to prepare for the A+ exam, then get these tapes. You'll find that it's much easier to listen to Craig Landes drone on about IRQs and vector tables after a hard day's work than it is to hit the books. ;-) These tapes are basically an abridged version of the A+ Exam Cram, which is precisely what you should be studying a few weeks before you take the exam. I only wish they made MCSE tapes....

I am a laborer. Never went to college. This books was a birthday gift and I tell you, it packs a powerful punch. This is a great easy reading book. I learned a lot, too. It showed me that Tennesseans are, indeed, a rare and worthy people. Before I had felt that the "average Joe" was not worthy of scholarly research or comment. Dr. Jones' book made me realize that ordinary folk are the backbone of this country. He takes a risk by not following customary wisdom of writing about famous White men and their battles. I am sure he received criticism for this.
However, while I never went to college and worked hard allmy life, this book did not talk down to me. It made me feel that my contribution to my state was worth my long days of constructions work that I do. THIS IS A GREAT FATHERS DAY GIFT.

Every Day in Tennessee History is a new concept, at least to me. It is not watered-down, "happy history" for lay persons and is not "techologically unavailable" history for professionals. It tells history to common people in a way that is not insulting. I am African-American. I found more about my history in this little book, than in all of the texts in college. I mean, besides noting that slavery did exist, did Africans contribute anything to Tennessee history? One would not think so, reading conventional textbooks. Dr. Jones' book gave me some small insight into contributions by Africans. For this, I am able to recommend this book. I wish he'd do more books on minorities. Thanks for this opportunity to speak up for a person breaking the mold. I am sure his book is not understood by a lot of people who cannot think of history being accessible to everyday people.

Dr. Jones has made a positive contribution to Tennessee History with many tidbits of information. Some humorous, some thought-provoking, some serious, and some unusual. The "tell only the positive stuff" history has many books to its genre. Some people protest Dr. Jones'writing about common people, as if common, everyday folk had no part in our history.

This book is not one like that. This is light-but-realistic writing, carefully researched, and interesting to read. Give it as a gift...well, I gave one to Vice President Gore who subsequently gave it a rave review. Negtive? No, only in that it does not glorify the rich and famous. This tells it like it was. It leaves the well-known out, pretty much.

Did Dr. Jones make an error with the KKK and ONE date? Gee, give the guy a break, for pete's sake. This is original work and I thoroughly enjoyed his approach and style. I've given it as gifts many times and will continue to do so.

I understand it also is a standard textbook in many history classes at Middle Tennessee State University. How bad can it be?

No author captures the mind and plight of the ordinary soldier better than James Jones, and "Whistle" is the third book of a trilogy that includes the indomitable "From Here to Eternity" and the gritty "The Thin Red Line."

From Here to Eternity portrays barracks life in Hawaii just before the attack at Pearl Harbor; The Thin Red Line is a wrenching account of island fighting in the South Pacific; and Whistle is the story of four men from the same infantry company, all wounded in battle, who are brought back to the U.S. on a hospital ship and then sent to an Army hospital in the South.

The book does a fine job of portraying the complex relationships between the four men and the inner demons each has to face. First Sergeant Martin Winch is a cynical, but superb leader who struggles with congestive heart failure while trying his best to protect the other three men. Mess Sgt. Johnny Strange is the nurturer who looks after the others while he struggles with the infidelity of his wife, and the injustices of the Army pecking order. Buck Sergeant Marion Landers tries but fails to handle the monstrous fury that wells up inside him. Corporal Bobby Prell fights to save his legs from amputation and copes with feelings of guilt over a Congressional Medal of Honor that he does not believe he deserves.

This was Jones’ final book, and he was unable to finish the final three chapters before he died of congestive heart failure (his death is portrayed in the movie "A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries" based on the book written by his daughter, Kaylie.)

Unfortunately, the last book of the trilogy doesn’t measure up to the first two, and it pains me to write this because I am one of Jones’ major fans. The story, the writing, Jones’ unique ability to get into the head of the GI just aren’t as sharp in this work.

There is also the matter of his preoccupation about a man performing oral ... on a woman– he goes on and on and on about it throughout the book. The ... is graphic, even by today’s standards. All well and good, but the preoccupation with oral ... stretched and exceeded the limits of its role in the story line. It’s like Jones’ had a statement to make, and he made it too often; and he made it too important for credibility.

And then there is the end of the book, which should have been handled differently. Jones was unable to complete the final three and one half chapters, but he let his intentions for the finale be known in detail. A friend and neighbor, Willie Morris, wrote the last chapters from notes and recordings. They are not written as fiction, but as a summary of what the author intended to happen. The novel would have been much better had a skilled writer done the end as a continuing fictional narrative, imitating Jones’ style. (Of course, there would need to be an appropriate explanation of how it was handled at the beginning of the book.)

Whistle is not James Jones best work. But it’s still a fine story by one of America’s most underrated authors.

Jones's trilogy has been grossly underestimated in recent years. Whistle, while not as well received as the first two books is absolutely the most important because Jones's character types arrive at their ultimate destinies in ways that make us all cringe. I do not think I exaggerate in stating that the scenes in this book, which take place on a hospital ship and in a fictional Tennessee town are more horrific than those Jones described of the stockade and of combat on Guadalcanal. It is hardly diminished by the fact that Jones died before its completion. Never was I so moved. Never was I so angered. Never was I so despondent over characters in a novel(who live and breathe as surely as we do). This book has greatly enhanced my perspective on what the Second World War meant for the combat infantryman and I will never forget it.

"Whistle" is one of the best books I have read. WWII is my favorite story genre. James Jones has never been disappointing in showing the reality of the soldiers' character. There were parts of the story where I audibly gasped at what had taken place. Although some of the language was Army technical and foreign to me, it was an easy read. The sexual encounters and explicit descriptions of them, was not offensive,but enlightening. It was very real and a breath of fresh air compared to the sugar coated versions of what happened during the war in other stories and films of the same time period. The main characters, Winch, Landers, Strange and Prell are so different from the stereo-type "war hero" It is a story of WWII which reveals the horror but does not dwell on it with blood, violence & gore and shows it from so many different perspectives.