I bought this book for my 5 year old, and he was able to read the entire thing himself the very first time - and he was so proud of himself! It contains many of the "sight words" they are teaching him in Kindergarten, and the other words are all easy to sound out. The story line itself very cute and 3 year old couldn't wait until his brother got to the end to see what happens!

I found that the resulting studies printed in these pages revealed a great amount of insight about successful Native American economic development and the interplay of culture, tradition, politics and tribal governmental mechanics. The book also reveals that the task of reforming tribal government may be a difficult task to achieve.

I would recommend a brief reading by any individual, company, or agency that maintains or wishes to develop a working relationship with Native American Tribes.

This book is the Bible of Internal Medicine. Anyone considering a career in medicine should have this book in their library. Comprehensive and well written, it is the gold standard of medical textbooks.

This book is a medical tradition, and it is as important to doctors as their stethoscope.
It is very complete, there is no doubt about it. Every subject of medicine is covered, and for a reference book is a must-have. It is also written in an easy-to-read way, but some chapters are more difficult to understand than others, and like a good meal, in excess it can get heavy and occasionally become a brick, so slow-reading is advised. Also worth to mention are the atlases, that give a lot of pictographic information.
I would recommend it only as a reference book, because for the USMLE, or as a course textbook, it is impossible to read it all, especially if time is scarce.

This book is the Bible of Internal Medicine. Anyone considering a career in medicine should have this book in their library. Comprehensive and well written, it is the gold standard of medical textbooks.

Look, I know I'm going to catch some flack for not rating this book higher but let me tell you why I feel I'm justified. This book describes the 29th Division from their long stay in England to the difficult capture of St.Lo about a month after D-Day. It's an excellent history with some of the best detail describing the trip from England to the beach. Also, there is extreme detail of the American theory of attack vs. the German's which is quite interesting. There is quite a difference, particularly in the use of firepower and movement of troops.

But where the book fails vs. a Stephon Ambrose type book is the lack of personal attachment to the individuals. Where a Stephan Ambrose book clearly takes most of the information from detailed soldier interviews, this books seemed to take all it's information from military journals of the war. It read so clinically I wondered if soldiers were interviewed to get the human side of the story. Reading the bibliography, it claims there were interviews.

I am so intrigued by the sacrifice made by our WWII veterans. I just don't feel this did justice to these men. It might be better read by someone studying the war in college from a tactical standpoint. I'd recommend Band of Brothers or Ghost Soldiers for stories of WWII that better let you feel the emotion of the fight. Not a bad book. Just didn't totally attach the reader to the soldiers who sacrificed so much.

I am an officer of the Maryland Army National Guard--a 29er--who has had the privilege of knowing Joe Balkoski and of walking the staging areas of Britain and the beaches of Normandy with him. Joe's book tells a story which is detailed, accurate and engaging. For me and for those who serve alongside me today in the Blue and Gray Division, it is a story with particular relevance. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand soldiers; for anyone who wants to understand the National Guard; and especially for those members of the 29th Division who want to know where we've been and what we're made of.

At the onset of World War II, men and machines were ill prepared to fight in an overseas campaign against the Axis powers. Yet, the 29th, rose up from a National Guard unit, to a unit representing states all across our great land. Officers were replaced and men were shuffled in and out of duty until the proper man was found for the job.

Men such as General Cota, took it upon themselves to lead charges off the beach and into a hail of bullets. As he leaped and dashed across the road, he yelled for others to follow his example. In doing so his bravery trickled down to the lowest private in line and moved them off the beach! Cota's story and many others truly complete this book.

"Beyond the Beachhead" was hard to put down. In describing the maintaining of spotless jeeps to the specifcs and rigors of training to 20 July 1944, when the 35th Division took over for the 29th for a well deserved eight-day rest; Mr. Balkoski's attention to detail takes you to the point of actually smelling spent powder from the bangalore torpedos as they exploded under the wire.

This book is a must for anyone interested in World War II history, and goes far towards revealing what happened, not only on the beach, but beyond! Thank you Mr. Balkoski for all your time and effort, it's been wonderful reading!

Axel Heyst, the protagonist in Conrad's novel, Victory, makes a final statement to Davidson, a fellow seaman, just before he dies: "...woe to the man whose heart has not learned while young to hope, to love--and to put its trust in life!" This statement coming from a man whose whole life has been lived in isolation is remarkable. His father taught him that life was a Great Joke, that it was an illusion; that the best way to survive was to drift oneself into oblivion. But he found love in the person of Lena and it changed his perspective on living and was responsible for his change of heart as represented in the above-quoted statement. It's too bad that the novel could not have had a happy ending, but Conrad's view of the world probably would not permit it. I found the novel engrossing, somewhat melodramatic, yet vintage Conrad in its depiction of good and evil battling each other on the island of Samburan.

Victory is the story of a man named Heyst who leads an isolated life in the South Pacific. However, he is drawn out of his isolation when he brings a woman to his island home. A chance encounter between a dishonest German who dislikes Heyst and two criminals sets up the dramatic ending. Conrad's style is as fluid as in his better known books, such as Lord Jim, and it is amazing that someone could write English so well who did not learn it until later in life and who always spoke it with a heavy Polish accent. Victory is similar to Conrad's other works in that the plot flirts with melodrama, but always is rooted in realism. Those who read the book will find the title apt.

Victory is the best of the handful of Conrad novels I have read (for reference sake, the others are Lord Jim, The Secret Agent, Heart of Darkness, and Nostromo). For one thing, the other novels were much heavier in their narrative and descriptive content. As a result, I often suffered from mental imagery overload when plodding through a page-long paragraph. Victory has more dialogue, making it an easier read. Conrad's characters are always great, and the ones in this book are no exception. I also really liked the correlation between these characters and their environment. Heyst living in a serene yet isolated island matched his aloofness perfectly. As the book reaches its climax and tensions reach a boiling point, Conrad adds to this tension in godlike fashion, as the storm evinces the internal and external struggles occurring in Heyst. Of course, Conrad don't write no happy tales (sic), but in the end, I think that the title Victory was still very appropriate. This was an excellent read and one of the best novels I have read in a long time.

As the program manager of a cross-functional product development team, I daily arbitrate or engage in emotionally charged crucial conversations. The principles in this book enable me to identify these crucial situations, diffuse tension, draw out meaning from each of the parties, and ultimately reach the best action plan possible. Most importantly, since I started using the principles in this book, mutual respect and unity on my team has increased dramatically--positional debate and argument is almost non-existent. Reading this book also helped me change my perspective of crucial conversations. Instead of fearing and avoiding them, I now recognize them as incredible opportunities for me to lead.

My recurring thought as I read this book was that these are "fundamental truths". The authors use accessible writing with minimal jargon and no word invention. Additionally, they reinforce their theories with an abundance of applicable technique. These are not trendy gimmicks that manipulate people into agreeing with you. Rather, the authors teach fundamentally sound communication skills that enable the reader to fully understand others and then to explain their own perspective in a respectful, non-confrontational way. The principles taught in this book are universally applicable. Not only have I used them in business, but they also help me strengthen my communication with family. Likewise, I know I will use these skills in the team oriented Stanford MBA program that I will begin this fall.

PAY THE [money] this book costs and avoid costly litigation, improve your communication, better manage expectations, defuse pent up emotions, and let your company be more productive!

I just finished Crucial Conversations and the first thing that I did as I laid down the book, was to log on to Amazon and order 30 copies to give to the managers within my company. I am the owner of my company of 600 employees and I am constantly searching for better ways to improve communication among our staff and employees. I am going to make sure that my HR team includes these principles into their training.

As I read through this book, I found that so many of our issues within the company would have been eliminated or diminished if we had embraced and utilized the tools laid out within this book. I could have avoided a costly lawsuit if these principles had been utilized when we were disciplining and eventually terminating an unproductive employee.

The authors have blended the humor of Dilbert, with the vision of Stephen Covey, with the practicality of consultants who have been down in the trenches of some of the biggest corporations in the US. It is an easy and enjoyable read.

I also found as I read the book that I kept thinking about how to use these tools to improve the conversations in my personal life, with my wife and with my children. I would love to see a second book that focused on Crucial Conversations at Home.

I have read Crucial Conversations cover to cover 4 times now. The results in my business and my marriage have been amazing. The book is well written and easy to understand. It teaches step by step skills to help you master the content. Before reading this book, I thought influential people possessed a natural ability to effectively handle conflict. After reading the book, I now realize that there are specific skill sets that anyone can learn (and master) to effectively deal with these "High Stake," "Strong Emotions," and "Opposing Opinion" conversations.

My confidence and productivity has increased in every area of my life (My business has increased by 30%-50% since I read the book the first time) and I am now effectively handling conversations with my wife that once caused constant upset.

I would recommend this book for anyone 1) wanting increased results and 2) willing to have a profound breakthrough in how they communicate. It has made a profound difference for me.

Black's is widely regarded as the ultimate authority for the definition of legal terms. I bought the leather-bound version on the first day of law school, but never used it once. (A law student can get by with a paperback legal dictionary.) However, I HAVE used this book as a practicing attorney. I once used it as authority in a brief, and the judge actually relied on the Black's definition to justify his order in my favor.

Know of of a lawyer (whom does not already have this indespenseable tool) or of a person heading to law school; then you should buy this book for them, i.e., Black's Law Dictionary by Bryan A. Garner (Editor), et al. The reference book starts out with a pronunciation guide; preface (which is very well written indeed); guide to dictionary; list of abbreviations; dictionary; seven appendixes, legal maxims, the constitution of the united states of america, universal declaration human rights; time chart of the united states supreme court; federal circuita map; british regnal years; list of works cited. The price is abit steep ... but it is well worth its price.

Know of of a lawyer (whom does not already have this indespenseable tool) or of a person heading to law school; then you should buy this book for them, i.e., Black's Law Dictionary by Bryan A. Garner (Editor), et al. The reference book starts out with a pronunciation guide; preface (which is very well written indeed); guide to dictionary; list of abbreviations; dictionary; seven appendixes, legal maxims, the constitution of the united states of america, universal declaration human rights; time chart of the united states supreme court; federal circuita map; british regnal years; list of works cited. The price is abit steep ... but it is well worth its price.

Lessons Learned is a long-winded tome on DIA and the complexities of airport management and design. Most of the book's facts and information are derived from already published sources. I would have liked to have seen exclusive interviews with the actual people involved in the making of DIA (politicians, workers, et al) -- this book is simply devoid of the investigative touch. Nevertheless, a lot of time and work went into writing Lessons Learned, of which the authors deserve credit. DIA is a story worthy of the 500 plus pages of material, unfortunately Lessons Learned drifts off into territory that will only interest those involved in airport design and management -- some of the technical discussion is boring and does not pertain to DIA directly. The book does explain in detail the political maneuvering within Denver that went into the making of DIA -- this material is the most interesting part of the book. In conclusion, if you share an interest in DIA or airports, get this book. I did and I don't regret it.

I had the extraordinary good fortune to have Paul Dempsey as a professor at the University of Denver College of Law. DU Law School is nationally, if not internationally, recognized as having one of the best transportation law programs in the United States. Paul Dempsey is, more than anyone, responsible for this honor. He regularly travels the globe as a consultant in all areas of transportation law. In the year I had Professor Dempsey, he went to China and Italy to consult with the local governments. Dempsey is also a founding and continuing member of the board of Frontier Airlines. If you are a CNN junkie, you've probably seen Dempsey testifying before Congress. In short, if you want the definitive inside scoop on the airline industry, and the building of DIA, you're not likely to find a more informed person than this guy.

Dempsey is a prolific author, and a highly respected academic. He has published far more than what you see listed here at Amazon.com.

For more information on Paul Dempsey, check out his exhaustive listing of publications at http://www.law.du.edu/support/facbibs/dempsey.htm. For even more information on Professor Dempsey, you can see Frontier Airlines latest 10K report at http://www.sec.gov/edaux/formlynx.htm

Dan Lobnitz, 2L, DU Law

HARRISON'S is synonymous with clinical books that worth their weights in gold. This 15th/ed CD-ROM maintained that tradition. It adds the much-needed portability to some 2700-paged heavyweight. However, the air-tight use-restrictions attached to the ...price is simply suffocating. I wish that the publisher had relaxed a bit!
Overall though, there were compensations. The CD contents are superb: far better than what the textbook versions offer. Anyone with interest in medical science should give it a try. It is elaborate and easy to understand. The excellent chapters on pharmacology and infectious diseases are particularly worth mentioning.

I have been reading Harrison's Medicine right from my residency. Its a fabulous book one can refer to as an undergraduate or postgratuate student. However for a practitioner one would prefer to have little more stress on management details. Adding audio to CD of the same book will make it more useful.

Mukund Baheti Consultant Neurologist Nagpur- 440 012 India

This book is the Bible of Internal Medicine. Anyone considering a career in medicine should have this book in their library. Comprehensive and well written, it is the gold standard of medical textbooks.

This book was a great action packed novel. I saw in the one reveiw that the rights were already picked up to be a movie...I'm not surprised. Can you say , Bruce Willis? It was very much a Die Hard kind of action and suspense book and the actual sequence that the title refers to was absolutely brilliant. I got a flashback of McGuyver during the stairwell scene....it was inguineous. The pace kept up through the whole book and had a beleiveable plot. It kept you guessing what was real and what wasn't throughout. The way it was written gave insight into the main characters mind and levied a little humor at his expense. It was refreshing to read a book that kept you both interested and chuckling. I definetly would recommend it to all my action fan friends.

There are not enough words in the dictionary to describe this white-knuckle story of action and adventure. In what classes as the best fast paced action thriller ever written, Garber has managed to mesh together the perfect blend of physical action and technical intrigue. A movie on this novel will be made, it is perfect for it. If done right it would become a classic. The authors word skill is such that I didn't read this book, I visualised it. Every sentance added another detail to the movie in my head.

The booby-trapped stairs must go down as some of the most entertaining writing ever. A sequel would be fantastic, but could it live up to this impossibly high standard? This is a must read! I work in a bookstore in Melbourne Australia and we find it hard to keep on the shelf, largely because I keep reccomending it to anyone that comes through the door!

When a friend of mine loaned me his copy of this book, I admit, I had my doubts. After reading such adventure novels as Clive Cussler's insipid Dirk Pitt series, I couldn't see what made my friend rave so much about the book. I tossed the book aside for weeks and only read it to kill time while I waited for spagetti to boil one night for dinner. The only reading break I took for the next three hours was to turn of the stove when the pot boiled over!

While there is relatively little room for creativity in this genre, the author's fast-paced, seemless prose easily compensates for this intrinsic flaw. He uses suspense to enhance his story line far better than any of his contemporaries, and possibly even better than masters like Poe. While, this book screams to be made into a blockbuster movie, I can only hope that the movie stays close to the book.