This is generally not considered one of the better plays of Aeschylus; yet, I did enjoy it, even though there is very little action. Perhaps it is because it dealt with a subject of contemporary interest to its original audience. In fact, it is the oldest surviving play based on an event of recent history. The play was first produced in 472 B. C., only eight years after the Battle of Salamis. The speech by the Messenger in the play is the earliest known historical account of that battle. The play takes place in the Persian court and simply presents the arrival of a messenger carrying the news of Persia's defeat and is followed by the entry of a disgraced Xerxes. This play also contains the earliest known appearance by a ghost in a drama.

"The Persians" is a minor work in the extant plays of Aeschylus, but has considerable historical if not dramatic significance. The play is the second and only remaining tragedy from a lost tetralogy that is based on the historical events of the Persians Wars. The play was performed in 472 B.C., eight years after the defeat of the invaders at the Battle of Salamis. The speech by the Messenger is assumed to be a fairly accurate description of the battle, but the focus of the play is on the downfall of the Persian Empire because of the folly of Xerxes. After the ghost of Darius, father of Xerxes and the leader of the first Persian invasion that was defeated at the Battle of Marathon laments the ruin of the great empire he had ruled, Xerxes offers similar histrionics concerning the destruction of his fleet.

The play is interesting because Aeschylus presents Xerxes, a foreign invader, as exhibiting the same sort of hubris that afflicts the greatest of mythological heroes in these Greek tragedies. Laud and honor is given the Athenians for defeating the Persians in battle, but Aeschylus surprisingly provides a look at the Persian king's culpability in the downfall of his empire. There is a reference in the play to the tradition that Xerxes was descended from Perseus (for whom the Persian race was therefore named), but even so it seems quite odd to turn him into a traditional Greek tragic hero. Aeschylus had fought the Persians at the Battles of Marathon and Salamis, which certainly lends authenticity to his description of events.

Aeschylus won the festival of Dionysus in 472 B.C. with the tetralogy of "Phineus," "The Persians," "Glaucus of Potniae," and the satyr play "Prometheus the Fire-Kindler." Phineas was the king who became the victim of the Harpies, while this particular Glaucus was the son of Sisyphus and the father of Bellerophon who was torn to pieces by his own mares. Consequently, this particular tetralogy clearly has the theme of kings brought down by their own folly. But even within that context, the fact that Aeschylus would write of a historical rather than legendary figure, not to mention a Persian rather than a Greek, remains more than a minor historical curiosity.

"Persians" deals with a people trying to exceed mortal limits. The king of persia blinds his people into believing they can accomplish deeds that exceed the laws of the divine and it's natural order. The king invades Greece despite bad omens. The people in Persia are told they are defeated by a messenger and mourn in mad disbelief. Searching for answers they summon the spirit of a once great king who cannot undo what has now been done. Persia's once proud army, security, and young sons are perished. This translation is excellent. The ending of the play through subject matter is sad enough, but the helpless lines delivered by King Xerxes and the chorus through dialogue toward each other at the end of the play is devastating.

Having read this book two thoughts come up:
1. They should have had much more in-depth data, why stick so much to the surface ?
2. Is their overview of ways to deal with radical innovation comprehensive ?

Seen the impressive list of authors and the impressive research they've done the book is disappointing. Maybe because they were limited on what they could disclose, time pressure etc.

To learn more about dealing with radical innovation I recommend the books 'Corporate Venturing, 'Intrapreneuring', 'Webs of Innovation', 'The Innovators Dilemma'.

So should you read 'Radical Innovation ? Well if you're active in the field it should be on your shelves, otherwise I wouldn't spend my dollars on it.

I think this book will have the greatest value if read in combination with Yoffie and Kwak's Judo Strategy. Why? Because the authors of that book correctly stress the importance of maximizing organizational speed, agility, balance, and leverage in any competitive marketplace. What they do not address (except perhaps indirectly or by implication) is the importance of radical innovation which, more often than not, proves to be a decisive competitive advantage. Indeed, the seven authors of the book I am about to review identify "Seven Challenges in Managing Radical Innovation" (see Table 1-1 on page 8) and meeting these challenges effectively indeed requires maximizing organizational speed, agility, balance, and leverage. Obviously, no single volume asks all "the right questions," much less provides "all the right answers." Hence the importance of carefully correlating the ideas from several different sources. I also strongly Michael Hammer's The Agenda which offers a "model" by which decision-makers in any organization (regardless of its size or nature) can determine appropriate priorities and then set appropriate objectives before formulating strategies and tactics by which to achieve those objectives.

The subtitle of this book ("How Mature Companies Can Outsmart Upstarts") reminds me of Jack Welch's comments when explaining why he admires "small and sleek" companies:

"For one, they communicate better. Without the din and prattle of bureaucracy, people listen as well as talk; and since there are fewer of them they generally know and understand each other. Second, small companies move faster. They know the penalties for hesitation in the marketplace. Third, in small companies, with fewer layers and less camouflage, the leaders show up very clearly on the screen. Their performance and its impact are clear to everyone. And, finally, smaller companies waste less. They spend less time in endless reviews and approvals and politics and paper drills. They have fewer people; therefore they can only do the important things. Their people are free to direct their energy and attention toward the marketplace rather than fighting bureaucracy."

For those who seek radical innovation in so-called "mature" companies, the challenges which the authors of this book identify are obviously much greater than they are for those in the "small and sleek" companies which Welch admires. A majority of upstarts pursue a "judo strategy" (in one form or another) because they lack the resources of their much larger competitors. (David had no chance if he wrestled Goliath.) For that reason, they cannot afford incremental innovation. They must take bold, decisive action when and where it will have the greatest impact.

When explaining what they call an "imperative," the authors of this book make a critically important distinction: "...incremental innovation usually emphasizes cost or feature improvements in existing products or services and is dependent on exploitation competencies. In contrast, radical innovation concerns the development of new businesses or product lines -- based on new ideas or technologies or substantial cost reductions -- that transform the economics of a business, and therefore require exploration competencies." This is indeed a key distinction.

Much of the material in this book was generated by the authors' research over a period of five years (1995-2000) which followed the development and commercialization activities of 12 radical innovation projects in 10 large, established ("mature") firms. For the authors, a radical innovation project must have the potential to produce one or more of these results: an entirely new set of performance features, improvements in known performance features of five times or greater, and/or a significant (i.e. 30% or more) reduction in cost. What the authors learned from the research serves as the foundation of their conclusions; also of what they recommend to those who seek radical innovation in their own organization. All of the ideas presented are anchored in an abundance of real-world experience. Although this brilliant book's greatest value may be derived by decision-makers in "mature" companies, I think substantial value can also be derived by decision-makers in the "upstarts" with which such companies as DuPont, General Electric, General Motors, IBM, and Texas Instruments will continue to compete. One final point: All of the "mature" companies discussed in this book were once "upstarts" themselves. How revealing that all of them are now so hard at work on regaining or preserving certain competitive advantages which once served them so well.

Very succinct yet comprehensive. It has key advice on the marketing, finance, and people skills necessary to see a new idea advance to a great new product. This book should be required reading for all MBA students, managers, and anyone who has the dream of a great new idea but is unsure as to how to make it come real. Although the title states that the book focuses on how more established companies can create environments to promote radical innovations, the information can readily be applied to any firm regardless of length of operations - and yes, to individuals.

The authors present a list of 7 challenges that face the radical innovator and then they provide the competencies, or skills, that are necessary to meet these challenges. Throughout the text, real-life examples from well-known firms help the reader to understand how these challenges come about, and to even recognize a challenge should it present itself. The examples do tend to focus on radical innovations that are new technological products, but the recommendations could also be applied to other new ideas such as new management systems or organizational structures.

This book has been very helpful in explaining the basics of Exchange server. However, there have been multiple questions that have gone unanswered by this book. If it's intention is to be a complete reference for Exchange, it needs much more detail regarding newsgroups, forms, and client software. I would also like to have seen more detailed instructions on HOW to accomplish something with Exchange. There is a lot of text stating "with Exchange server 5.5, you can do this . . . " fill in the blank, but then there are no follow-up instructions on HOW to accomplish that task. Overall, it is a good beginner's guide, but not very helpful for real-world Exchange administrators who need to use Exchange server to its fullest capacity.

This book is big and it talks about a lot of issues but doesn't get into much detail. Perhaps it was not intended to. It sure gives a good general picture for the beginner, but I would have liked to see more on the Internet features like POP3. In coclusion, it's a good "overall" book on Exchange, but my advice is to supplement it with some smaller specialized books like MS Exchange Server Internet Mail Connector by Spyros Sakellariadis

Using Microsoft Exchange Server

I travel in Europe a lot, and while I am not a student of theology or religious art, I find both very interesting. I have always found the art regarding the devil to be some of the most heartfelt, visceral work, and I was excited to find this book. It lived up to my expectations, with beautiful pictures and a deep, well-reasoned analysis of the symbolism involved that took into account the conditions and beliefs of the times. I found myself involved and interested, and was well-educated by the time I was done with it. However, I wasn't finished with it at the end; I had to give up early. This is because near the end, Lorenzi goes into the devil in goldsmithing. While this was another prominent religious artform, it became too technical, with too many names and periods to keep track of. If it hadn't been for this last section, the book would have recieved five stars from me.
The book is still a fascinating read, and well worth your money. There aren't many books to be found that focus so effectively on the devil in art, and this is a good one.

This book struck me as an interesting thing to read when I was recently discovering the beautiful city of Firenze for the first time. I appreciated the biblical and social aspects of this non-fiction approach at devils and demons. I, also, not being a student of theology, found myself learning more about the history of the old testament of the bible while I read over the book. It kept me (an avid fan of FICTION.. ) attentive... I read the book in about two hours. If you are interested in the history of Florence, as well as Brunelleschi and other Florentine artists and architechts, I recommend this book. It is also a good read for people interested in devils, witchcraft, etc.

Living on the Edge provides a representation of the bleak and desperate conditions that the typical welfare recipient endures. Mark Robert Rank offers an alternative perspective of those who use the welfare system that contradicts the views of popular media and political beliefs. Through statistical review and a thorough interviewing process, Rank reveals that welfare reliance is not a desirable lifestyle and is hardly enticing. The common belief that the welfare system in the United States offers too much and does not motivate recipients to get-off of the program is dispelled in this book.

Living on the Edge runs through several different scenarios that describe the various reasons one might turn to welfare. Many theories about how poverty and welfare fit into society are presented with a logical compare and contrast narrative included. The book also depicts the daily struggle that an individual or family that is living in poverty must go through and what efforts are made to get-off of the program. After all of the differences between causes and effects of welfare recipiency that are described, it is interesting to read that there are striking similarities between those Rank interviewed. It seems that all of the interviewed welfare recipients would prefer to be financially independent. They also all seem to have the common bond of a dream that their lives could someday be more than what it is today.

The format of Living on the Edge is consistent and clearly written from chapter to chapter, making it an easy read and easy to grasp Rank's main points. I would recommend this book to anyone who wonders what might be going through the mind of someone living through poverty and then turning to the welfare system. This book will provide a view quite different from that, which is portrayed in the mainstream media.

Mark Robert Rank has done an excellent job portraying the realities of the welfare sysetm in this country. It is very interesting to contrast the facts and data about welfare to the popular concepts and stereotypes about welfare recipients. This book takes an in-depth statistical as well as personal view of how, why and how long families get and stay on welfare. The statistics are interesting, the real stories are with the actual welfare recipients. Rank interviewed several different types of welfare recipients and presented thier stories throuthout the book.

It is really amazing to realize that the majority of welfare recipients don't like being on welfare. They would like to have a job as much as the average American. Most of these people have come upon economic or family hardships and the welfare system is a temporary strap to hold them up.

The book presents many ideas which are contradictory to popular opinions and views. This book has really changed many of my views about welfare recipients and those that are economically challenged.

I recomend that anyone who believes that welfare recipients are lazy, unmotivated, and parasites on society reads this book. It really is a wake up call !

Finally a book that goes further then showing some pictures...there ain't ! So all the place left is pure 100% usefull and revealing information. Not only useful for antique but also for younger, almost actual, porcelain. Indispensible for identification of the manufacturer and the age of a piece of German, Bohemian or Austrian porcelain. The information is seperately ordered by marks, by manufacturers or by names ! I don't know how I should go on without it...

Finally a book that goes further then showing some pictures...there ain't ! So all the place left is pure 100% usefull and revealing information. Not only useful for antique but also for younger, almost actual, porcelain. Indispensible for identification of the manufacturer and the age of a piece of German, Bohemian or Austrian porcelain. The information is seperately ordered by marks, by manufacturers or by names ! I don't know how I should go on without it...

Helpful descriptions and paw ratings of dog-friendly hotels in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. However, they omit many of the smaller cities, and for the cities they do list it would be nice if there was a list of hotels that didn't accept dogs so you'd know they checked them. 'Doing the Northwest with your Pooch' lists many more hotels and many more cities (just no descriptions). We recommend 'Pets Welcome' as a useful additional cross-reference that is worth its price because of its hotel descriptions, but do not rely on this book exclusively. The authors donate 5% of book proceeds to the Humane Society of the United States.

This comprehensive well designed guidbook is informative, accurate and offers new opportunities for me and my canine pals.

Comics like "Two-Fisted Science" serve nothing but a good purpose. They remind us that comics - like other art forms - can be about anything, and are not captives of the humor, fantasy and adventure genres.

A science-themed comic is especially appropriate, as the art-text combination inherent to comics would seem perfect for conveying complex/cosmic ideas. This collection features some terrific artists - notably Bernie Mireault, David Lasky, Colleen Doran and Sean Bieri - but I was a bit disappointed in the writing. Ottaviani's stories so intent on being unorthodox and different that they instead become meandering and confusing. Oftentimes I was unsure of what exactly was at stake for each story and why we should care about what was being told. And I would expect to actually learn more about SCIENCE in such a book. Also, the organization of the book into seemingly random sections, and the clumsy, unimaginative publication design diminished the effect.

I give the book high marks for effort, nice artwork, and the especially interesting portraits of Richard Feynman, but overall I'd rate "Two-Fisted Science" a noble failure.

We have given this book to various friends who have enjoyed the hard science topics in the 'comic book' format. We also have given it to nieces and nephews, who may not realize that they are being exposed to science and history. We can chat with them about it later, to see how much they have absorbed and to encourage them to reread it (comics are fun after all).

This book is difficult but so marvelous that it is well worth the effort required. If you are wed to the idea of so-help-me-God facts, this book isn't for you. It is full of magic and mystery and sheer out-and-out glorius poetry.

It is full of moonlight, spiderwebs and golden raintrees. If this book were visual art it would be a William Morris wallpaper.

It is full of the sadness and glory of the Sirens chapter of Ulysses. It has the heartbreaking beauty of nostalgia . It has the life affirming strangeness of Moby-Dick. It is like a thousand other things and utterly itself.

I found this a very suitable text for the teaching of entry-level immunology as it is very clearly written and also amply illustrated with excellent graphics and flow diagrams. It has been a very well received set text (adopted since 1999) for the two immunology modules that we teach in our polytechnic diploma course in medical laboratory technology. My students, in particular, very much like the short summaries which are in point form for easy revision. One possible drawback is a missing chapter on commonly used techniques in diagnostic immunology - whilst this book is not intended as a manual of laboratory methods, we would have loved to read about the various principles & applications, explained in the authors' succinct style, thus making it a comprehensive text.