The first two volumes in this series are fascinating looks at Sturgeon's development, well worth reading for those who are already fans of his. The third is where Sturgeon really starts to hit his stride, though, and this fourth volume is the first that I can wholeheartedly recommend to those previously unfamiliar with his work. Not every story here is superb; some are a bit dull, and some are overlong and predictable. But there's enough excellent material here to make it a solid introduction to Sturgeon's work, and the fascinating end-notes on each story by Paul Williams will make you wonder why other authors' complete-works collections can't be as thoroughly researched or as interestingly annotated. "Maturity," the first story here, is a masterpiece in the old sense of the word: it marks Sturgeon's transition from journeyman to master, while prefiguring _Flowers for Algernon_ (and predating it by a good 20 years). Other high points of this collection include the non-fantastical "A Way Home," the horror story "The Professor's Teddy Bear," the hilarious "Tiny and the Monster," and "Thunder and Roses," which is still relevant after 55 years.

Four volumes in and no clunkers yet, this guy had something special . . . and his Hugo and Nebula winning short story is still about thirty years away. Wow. If you've been following along all this time let me just say that this volume will give you more pleasures than any writer had any right to give you, most writers have a couple truly amazing short stories within them and while not everything Sturgeon wrote was genius the sheer amount of good stuff here is simply astounding. "Thunder and Roses" has to be one of the most humane stories ever written and others like "There is No Defense" or "The Professor and the Teddy Bear" (if it doesn't scare you, you must not have a pulse) stand up remarkably well. Again, you owe it to get every volume of this series and save it for the generations to come, we have so few literate writers these days and those few that we have deserve to be remembered and enjoyed. Sturgeon is one. Read him.

This guy knew how to write about love, in all of it's phases, yet never or rarely descended into mawkishness. And a lot of his considerable output is classic. Buy it if you have to skip lunch for a week. If you've never read Sturgeon before, you're in for a treat, language of a grace and power to rival Bradbury and a way of moving along jauntily that compares with Henry Kuttner (Lewis Padgett) and Alfred Bester.

The book should read to "Letters by Theo. Goldin" to and from various different people, E.A. Brinistool, Albert Johnson, Phillip Cole, Fred Dustin and eventually Capt Frederick Benteen. Most of the letters were written when Goldin was very old and blind. Interesting insight into Benteen and a scathing by Benteen of Custer and his preported "conduct". Worth the reading if you truely "understand" what happened on June 25th 1876. Not for the first time reader... you'll be lost within a matter of pages unless you understand the "who, what and where" of different people.

This book is the printing with minimal commentary of letters between Goldin and Benteen. Frederick Benteen was an officer and Goldin an enlisted man in the Seventh Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Correspondence between officer and enlisted man is unique in itself. In the case of first hand participants their direct insights into events is always fascinating. This book does not answer any outstanding questions but it does add insights especially relative to Benteen. Anyone interested in the history of the Seventh Cavalry and the personality of Frederick Benteen, a major participant in the Little Big Horn scenario will be interested in this book.

This book was used as a text in my university Buddhism class. It is not a detailed explanation of Buddhism but rather gives a glimpse into various traditions and important writings that have contributed to the growth of Buddhism. It quotes extensively from different sources and provides a glimpse into key points in history and from the lives of those who shaped Buddhism. Excellent book for students of Buddhism because of its informative and well-rounded approach. It may not be the best book, if read alone, for the more casual reader unfamiliar with the fundamentals of Buddhism.

This book is a very good introduction to the Buddhist tradition, historically and cross-culturally. The book incorporates excerpts from basic scriptures and major writings, in an effort to represent the mainstream of Buddhist thought. Although, as they state in the preface, there is "an enormous diversity within Buddhism and no fixed standard of orthodoxy" the editor and authors succeed in presenting the "common ground of discussion" they aim to reveal. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in beginning a study of Buddhist history, thought and culture.

Stories by Sturgeon inspired movies, episodes of Star Trek, & even the New Twilight Zone. I'm not a Sturgeon fan, but I'm baffled by how an award winning author (indeed an author with an award named for him) who had links to the media is disappearing. Talking about the author is Very relevant since this & other such collections are about keeping his work in print. Anyway this a mixture of fantasy, SF, horror & Mainstream. The standouts are said to be the title peace (Killdozer! is mentioned a lot in MST 3K's early seasons) "Abreaction", "The Chromium Helmet", & "Mewhu's Jet". This collection gives you a good feel of this stage of Sturgeon's career. If you like Sturgeon or just have an interest in older science fiction & fantasy this is worth trying out

This is the third volume of the serieis and I'm reading the fourth now and I have to say that if you have ANY passing interest in science-fiction, literature, basically anything related to writing and the art of the short story, you owe it to yourself to hunt down these volumes, they're about the best service the publishing industry has done for one of its writers in years. You won't get genius each time but each volume has its own gems to treasure. This one has of course the masterful Killdozer among other things, the stories are branching out more here, most are touching in some way but all are at the very least entertaining, my favorite might just be the unpublished "August Sixth, 1945" which distills brilliantly the thoughts of a generation realizing the power they had with atomic energy and coming to grips with just what it meant. You can see a shift in his stories at that point and especially with the later "Thunder and Roses", as with most science fiction writers, the future was now and it wasn't all rosy and they felt they had a duty to show that it could be good that the shining stuff they showed in their stories could come true. Sturgeon believed that because he believed in people and he loved everyone and nothing shows that better than his stories. Read them and you come to know the man. And he's worth knowing.

This history is educational concerning TR's political and personal life. However, the writing is fairly dry and it is not very inspiring.

This Biography of Roosevelt is highly recommended! It offers a good exploration of the Presidential years and the political moves any President must balance when dealing with the Senate, parties, etc. It also deals with the shaping of the man before the Presidency without overwhealming the coverage of his administration. Miller's bio. focused far too much on his personal life and left you wondering what really happened during his White House years. Harbaugh balances the two areas expertly, and leaves the reader with a complete understanding of both.

This biography is highly praised by Roosevelt buffs because it is precise, complete and well balanced. It is in the same league as the Edmund Morris books and Nathan Millers fine work on Theodore Roosevelt.

This book is a short, but thorough overview of the dynamics of mediation written by someone with a lifetime's experience in the field. While the book's title promises the "keys to conflict resolution" and the subtitle the "proven methods of resolving disputes voluntarily", the work delivers neither substantially. To its credit, the book provides plenty of useful advice and some wonderful inside information on many newsworthy labor conflicts of the past fifty years. Organizational development facilitators and school leaders frequently find themselves in a role equivalent to mediator, so for the would-be facilitator/leader the book is worth the short amount of time it takes to read it.

The book is light on the specific techniques of mediation, but heavy on the approaches and thinking that an effective mediator requires. According to Kheel, a mediator's role is to bring negotiators together and to help two (or more) sides find an agreeable resolution to their disagreement. To do this, a mediator helps the sides define and frame the issues, agree on procedures for resolving the issues, and then talk through their positions and interests to find reasonably common ground. An effective mediator must "enjoy the confidence of both sides", remain neutral throughout the negotiations no matter what s/he believes to be right, and avoid making recommendations for resolution. On page 82, he offers the ten commandments for mediators (on page 48, he provides an equivalent list for negotiators, who try to get the best deal for their sides, and on page 96, he offers another set of commandments to arbitrators, who decide how a dispute should be resolved). The tenth mediator's commandment reads: "Bear in mind at all times that you are the friend of contesting adversaries. Give them no reason to share you as an enemy." This, among other pieces of seasoned advice, seems worthwhile to anyone who has the task of helping multiple parties move forward on a disagreement.

Typically, negotiations have a three stage life cycle. In stage one, the parties exchange demands; in stage two, they discuss them; and in stage three, they reach accord. Resolutions are usually most effectively found against, what Kheel calls, "the crunch" (a deadline), the point after which the parties have no control over what decision will be made. Without a deadline, parties will see little risk in coming to no decision. A mediator can help negotiations by either keeping the deadline in front of the parties or helping them find one, when none seem apparent. In the everyday workings of an organization, oftentimes a "crunch" is absent. Certainly, interventions in schools might be well-served by some creative thinking around a crunch point.

Chapter five, which describes the five roles of a mediator, serves as the book's fulcrum. These roles are useful intervention approaches for any facilitator. They are: (1) The housekeeper, who keeps track of the details (2) The ringmaster, who helps define, group, and prioritize issues (Kheel offers no techniques on how to do this) (3) The educator, who helps both sides understand the other, and tries to get them to walk in each other's shoes (4) The communicator, who serves as the intermediary and conveys messages accurately and directly, and (5) The innovator, who may offer suggestions for consideration. This chapter, like the others, is filled with stories of real world disputes, which make the book an interesting, if not a fun read. While Kheel holds back on the strategies needed to become an effective mediator, he provides plenty of practical wisdom, which might be helpful for anyone looking to improve their approach to conflict.

This book is a short, but thorough overview of the dynamics of mediation written by someone with a lifetime's experience in the field. While the book's title promises the "keys to conflict resolution" and the subtitle the "proven methods of resolving disputes voluntarily", the work delivers neither substantially. To its credit, the book provides plenty of useful advice and some wonderful inside information on many newsworthy labor conflicts of the past fifty years. Organizational development facilitators frequently find themselves in a role equivalent to mediator, so for the would-be facilitator the book is worth the short amount of time it takes to read it.

The book is light on the specific techniques of mediation, but heavy on the approaches and thinking that an effective mediator requires. According to Kheel, a mediator's role is to bring negotiators together and to help two (or more) sides find an agreeable resolution to their disagreement. To do this, a mediator helps the sides define and frame the issues, agree on procedures for resolving the issues, and then talk through their positions and interests to find reasonably common ground. An effective mediator must "enjoy the confidence of both sides", remain neutral throughout the negotiations no matter what s/he believes to be right, and avoid making recommendations for resolution. On page 82, he offers the ten commandments for mediators (on page 48, he provides an equivalent list for negotiators, who try to get the best deal for their side, and on page 96, he offers another set of commandments to arbitrators, who decide how a dispute should be resolved). The tenth mediator's commandment reads: "Bear in mind at all times that you are the friend of contesting adversaries. Give them no reason to share you as an enemy." This, among other pieces of seasoned advice, seems worthwhile to anyone who has the task of helping multiple parties move forward on a disagreement.

Typically, negotiations have a three stage life cycle. In stage one, the parties exchange demands; in stage two, they discuss them; and in stage three, they reach accord. Resolutions are usually most effectively found against, what Kheel calls, "the crunch" (a deadline), the point after which the parties have no control over what decision will be made. Without a deadline, parties will see little risk in coming to no decision. A mediator can help negotiations by either keeping the deadline in front of the parties or helping them find one, when none seem apparent. In the everyday workings of an organization, oftentimes a "crunch" is absent. Certainly, interventions in schools might be well-served by some creative thinking around a crunch point.

Chapter five, which describes the five roles of a mediator, serves as the book's fulcrum. These roles are useful intervention approaches for any facilitator. They are: (1) The housekeeper, who keeps track of the details (2) The ringmaster, who helps define, group, and prioritize issues (Kheel offers no techniques on how to do this) (3) The educator, who helps both sides understand the other, and tries to get them to walk in each other's shoes (4) The communicator, who serves as the intermediary and conveys messages accurately and directly, and (5) The innovator, who may offer suggestions for consideration. This chapter, like the others, is filled with stories of real world disputes, which make the book an interesting, if not a fun read. While Kheel holds back on the strategies needed to become an effective mediator, he provides plenty of practical wisdom, which might be helpful for anyone looking to improve their approach to conflict.

In The Keys to Conflict Resolution, Ted Kheel details the workings of negotiation, mediation and arbitration: the voluntary techniques of conflict resolution. In easy-to-follow language, citing examples from his own experience, he shows how the techniques can be used to produce positive results in all types of disputes. In basic, straightforward prose he lays out the Ten Commandments for mediators, arbitrators and negotiators: guidelines for generals as well as foot soldiers on the battlefield of conflict resolution - and for those of us who merely want to convince the neighbor to mow the lawn at a normal hour.

In my opinion, Junk isn't as good as other books. It is a book, written for young people and about the life of young people. But you always know, what will happen next. We read this book in school, and it was very interesting, but the suspense is only in the first ten chapters. If you have nothing to do, you can read it, but there are more better books to read.

Jan-Oliver Ohloff

I can't say enough about this book. The book is suprisingly easy to read, and uncovers insights from some of the most prominent names in HY research. A must for HY analysts, MBAs, and CFOs.

I have had the privilege of reading the galley proofs of this book and find it to be THE definitive word on High Yield Investing. This book develops the blueprint for how to navigate, understand, and analyze High Yield Bonds. A must for MBA students, a requirement for anyone in the field already, and a vital tool for investors.

The book's three authors (The George Washington University Business School, Georgetown Business School, and 20+ years High Yield Experience) have used their knowledge and connections to get the best information available

Please advise if this book has been translated into Chinese, I will be very interested if you have Chinese version of this book, please advise.

This work effectivley demonstrates how oppressive Asian nations have attempted to justify their rule using Confucian concepts to argue that western ideas about human rights do not apply to them. The author clearly demonstrates that Confucian principles are not inherently in conflict with western ideas about human rights, despite the cultural differences that do exist between "Western" philosophy and "Eastern" philosophy about the individual and the state. The only weakness in the book is its pretentious style. I mean do you really have to have a sentence that is seven lines long? I don't think that shows intelligence but a desire to appear smarter than you really are.

This is a collection of essays by various historians on alternate military outcomes in history, arranged in chronological order from Ancient times to 1983. Although there are some interesting essays on the American Revolution and a few other areas, the book is very disappointing. The "big name" historians provide the worst-written essays, almost afterthoughts. The essay by John Keegan on what if Hitler had pursued a Mediterranean strategy in 1941-2 totally ignores logistics and Nazi political objectives. Stephen Ambrose's essay on what if D-Day had failed rests on non-military reasoning and is ridiculous (as if the Allies would have abandoned D-Day because of bad weather). In light of Peter Tsouras' excellent "Disaster at D-Day", Ambrose's essay appears pathetic. Other essays are rather pedestrian, like several on what if the South had won the Civil War. Yawn. How many times is this going to be passed around? Many interesting and almost situations, like Operation Sealion, or what if Iraq had invaded Saudi Arabia in 1990 are ignored. None of the essays do a very good job on strategic analysis and assume too much about single win/loss results (e.g. a Southern victory at Gettysburg was unlikely to have won the war, since the North had already lost several battles without any real reduction in its will to win). This book is a collection of not-very original quasi-historical fluff.

For anyone who likes history, this book is an uneven, but overall excellent and very enjoyable, series of exercises in "counterfactual" history. Not the silly, frivolous, or nonsensical kind, where Robert E. Lee all of a sudden is given a nuclear bomb, but instead serious, meaty (even highly PROBABLE) ones, like what would have happened if there hadn't been a mysterious plague outside the walls of Jerusalem, or if there had been a Persian victory at Salamis, or if Genghis Khan's drunken third son (Ogadai)had not died just as his hordes were poised to conquer (and probably annhilate) Europe, or if Cortes had been killed or been captured Tenochtitlan, etc.

The major flaw with this book is that the essays are of somewhat uneven interest level, style, and quality. Personally, for instance, I found the essay on the Mongols to be fascinating, sending chills down my spine! "D Day Fails" by Stephen Ambrose, on the other hand, didn't do much for me at all, nor did "Funeral in Berlin." In general, I would say that the essays covering earlier periods in human history tend to be better than ones covering more recent history. Possibly this is in part because the later periods have been covered to death. I mean, how many "counterfactuals" on the US Civil War can there be before we get sick of them? But a well-written, tightly-reasoned counterfactual which, based on events hundreds or even thousands of years ago, quite plausibly leads to a result where there is no Judaism, Christianity, or Islam, or Western culture at all, is absolutely fascinating in my opinion. If nothing else, books like "What If?" show how important CHANCE is in human history, as well as the importance of the INDIVIDUAL, as opposed to some Hegelian/Marxist-Leninist historical "inevitability." The bottom line is that it is rare that anything is truly "inevitable", and the aptly titled "What If?" gives us some excellent case studies.

Heard the taped version of WHAT IF?: THE WORLD'S FOREMOST
MILITARY HISTORIANS IMAGINE WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN, edited
by Robert Cowley . . . I often speculate about lots of things, and so do the contributors to this book--including Stephen E. Ambrose, John Keegan, David McCollough, and James M. McPherson (to name just a few).

For example, what if:
George Washington had never made his miraculous escape
from the British on Long Island in the early dawn of August 29, 1776?

a Confederate aide hadn't accidentally lost General Robert E. Lee's plans for invading the North?

the Allied invasion on D Day had failed?

These and a whole host of other questions are considered . . . the resultant answers are often fun, but at the same time, sometimes frightening . . . as in, Hitler's case . . . had he not attacked Russia when he did, he might have moved into the Middle East and secured the oil supplies the Third Reich so badly needed, thus helping it retain its power in Europe . . . can you just imagine the present-day implications for that scenario?

If you're a history buff, this is a MUST read . . . but methinks
that others will enjoy it and become much more interested
in the subject as a result . . . I know that I'm now looking
forward to Coweley's follow-up effort, WHAT IF? 2.