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Book reviews for "Maslowski,_Stanley" sorted by average review score:

Visioneering
Published in Hardcover by Multnomah Publishers Inc. (2000)
Author: Andy Stanley
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GUIDANCE
This book is a must-read for anyone who is intrested in living life to the fullest. It gives TREMENDOUS insight on vision, how God can help to steer your life, and more. It is extremely practicle. This work exhibits excellent, easy reading, in a vernacular, down-to-earth style with examples we all can relate to. I would recommend to parents, anyone upscaling their business,and anyone who wants to test their vision. Old Testament character Nehemiah's building project is a well-used example. 'Visioneering' is a definate must-read for anyone with hopes, with dreams, with vision.

Dare to Dream
In "Visioneering," Andy Stanley provides the motivation, the plan, and the encouragement for developing and fulfilling your God-given dreams. Nehemiah's vision for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem is used as a classic example of the things God wants to accomplish in the lives of everyday Godly dreamers. The subject of vision is masterfully defined while practical
steps for vision formulation and achievement are carefully explained and clearly illustrated. The book makes for enjoyable, inspiring, and empowering reading. Visionaries waiting for the fulfillment of their dreams can draw good counsel and encouragement from this book. I highly recommend "Visioneering" to anyone who dares to dream. I would also encourage the serious Christian visionary to read "The Power of Vision" by George Barna. The two works bring balance, clarity, and fullness to each other.

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE EVER READ
"Visioneering" is an outstanding book!!! It has helped me very much in understanding everything involved in receiving visions from God (A vision is God's idea not yours)and in how they are implemented. The chapters dealing with subjects of how visions frequently take a long time to come about and the chapters relating to the leader's moral integrity are worth the price of the book by themselves.

"Visioneering" is highly recommended!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Fighting for Your Marriage: Positive Steps for Preventing Divorce and Preserving a Lasting Love
Published in Paperback by Jossey-Bass (1900)
Authors: Susan L. Blumberg, Howard J. Markman, Scott M. Stanley, and Dean S. Edell
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Beneficial for Anyone - Married or Single
Overall, it was very good especially if you can get your spouse to read it with you and actually try the suggestions given. Now if only one of you are reading the book it also works in a viewpoint that you'll understand where you stand and how he/she may be reacting to the discussion, disagreement or whatever. For example, you'll notice that when one of you walks away or stays quiet while the other is trying to solve the problem then instead of thinking he/she isn't paying attention you may say to yourself he/she is now withdrawing so let me put this off until we are both open to listening and discussing the situation. Many points in the book were very helpful in making sense of how men and women view things in a different light of importance. The book is not only good for couples but for singles as well, Marriage is a TEAM that works best when you can communicate and learn that you go from I, ME to US and WE. I recommend it - great insights even better if you can convice the other to join you in reading it together.

This book saved our marriage!
My husband and I married in our mid thirties thinking we had a lock on good communication skills and knowing we were mature enough to really make this marriage work. Nonetheless, it wasn't long before we were "mired in muck". When a small conflict arose, we found ourselves so caught up in being right and fighting our point to the death that small events escalated into huge issues. We could feel the good things in our relationship slipping away and felt helpless to fix the problem. (This was AFTER reading probably 20 different books on marriage, doing the Barbara D'Angelis program, the Gary Smally Program, attending several couples workshops, etc.). Contemplating calling it quits on our marriage, I happened accross this book, loved it, then went to a PREP workshop. Our marriage is AWESOME. We actually know how to hear and be heard and have the skills to RESOLVE the conflicts. (By the way, note the "I". My spouse hasn't read the book and refused to go to the workshop.) I learned the skills and used them in our marriage and our relationship changed. It even works with kids, in-laws, co-workers.... Yippee!

Should Be Required Reading
This book should be required reading for all couples getting married. If only I had read this book first, I could have avoided a lot of the bumps along the marital journey and saved myself and my spouse a lot of grief. Based on sound research and full of excerpts from real couples' lives, this book is now my favorite gift to newlyweds. It gives you great comfort to know that the arguments you and your spouse have occur in all marriages at different times. I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking at making their marriage last for the long haul!


The Miracle of MSM : The Natural Solution for Pain
Published in Hardcover by Penguin USA (Paper) (1999)
Authors: Stanley W. Jacob MD, Ronald M. Lawrence MD, and Martin Zucker
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Best book on MSM by far ...
This title by Drs. Jacob and Lawrence is by far the best word on MSM (along with product manufacturers dmso2.com etc).

I, also, prefer the hardback version of this book. It is out of print but I found that it is still available at the distributor (msmsupplement.com as mentioned by someone in another review).

I hope that there is a new, updated version of this book on the horizon, because I know that MSM is helping so many people with a variety of problems (e.g. Arthritis, Allergies, Energy, Joint and Muscle & Nerve Pain, Skin Conditions ...). I even give it to my dogs and cats now!

By the way, Dr. Lawrence (on of the authors) is the doctor of the famous actor James Coburn. Mr. Coburn now attributes his recovery from crippling arthritis pain to benefits derived from MSM.

Get the hardback! Best book on MSM & Pain Relief there is!
This book is the best that you will get on MSM. It is written by the "father of MSM" (IMO), Dr. Stanley Jacob. Co-written by Dr. Ronald Lawrence, doctor of famous actor James Coburn...

Get the hardback edition - it costs less than the not-so-well-bound paperback. You will use this book as a reference for natural dosage, et cetera, so definately get the hardback.

MSM4ALL
I read Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Lawrence's book when it first came out and continue to reread it periodically and learn something useful each time. I have been taking msm since 1998 for severe back pain and in just 3 days the pain was gone. For the person who said it upset her stomach try taking it with food or maybe you are taking the wrong brand if you want to learn more you can e-mail me at msm4all@aol.com.


Qi Gong For Beginners: Eight Easy Movements For Vibrant Health
Published in Paperback by Sterling Publications (1999)
Author: Stanley Wilson
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Excellent for beginners!
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning beneficial Qi Gong exercises, particularly without an instructor. Each exercise is clearly described and accompanied by individual photos as well as sequence pictures. I have several book on Qi Gong, but this is the one that I chose for my daily energy exercises because of the clear directions and great photographs. It is a wonderful guide and a valuable resource, especially for beginners.

Qi gong for beginners by Stanley Wilson
As a Koreanized version of baduanjin (8 brocade exercise), this book is a good buy and has all the elements of being well written, well researched and personal experience of the author, based on the condition that was helped by this method.
The author goes into the background of the routine, gives an objective view allowing the reader to be open minded and states his case for it being an instrument for increasing his quality of life.

Great buy.

THIS ANCIENT WISDOM WORKS!
I had bad stomach ailments (irritable bowel syndrome) that plagued me for a few years. In addition, I was always the first to get sick with a cold, flu, etc. Since I've been practicing the excercises in this book, my stomach problems went away, and now I can't remember the last time I got a cold. Now in flu season, EVERYONE is sick around me but I'm feeling great. I wish everyone would start practicing Qi Gong. I'm not sure why it works -- whether there really is a universal energy field that we draw upon, or whether the deep breathing excercises, slow stretching movements and meditative state release endorphins and boost the immune system. Maybe it's both. It doesn't really make a difference to me. If you want to improve your health in ANY WAY, buy this book!


NASB In Touch Ministries Wide Margin; Hardcover (Charles Stanley In Touch Ministries)
Published in Hardcover by Foundation Publications (01 October, 1999)
Authors: Foundation Publication Inc and The Lockman Foundation
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IN TOUCH MINISTRIES NASB WIDE MARGIN BIBLE
The In-Touch Ministries version of the NASB is a welcome addition to the NASB Update family of Bibles. I have the Top Grain leather edition, and I have not found a Bible on the market that can match the leather quality of this Bible. The top grain leather is extremely soft and thick. Even the inside of the covers are made of the leather resulting in a Bible that literally "fits your hands like a glove." The paper is of high quality- easy to turn and it does not allow bleed through of ball point pens and some markers. There are extra pages in the front and back for extended note taking. The concordance and maps are standard NASB/Foundation additions. The print is a good size for reading and clear on the page. The Bible should receive a five star rating except for two things: 1) the lack of cross-references is limiting to Bible study; and 2) there have been some quality problems in the printing process that results in page-fold errors throughout the Bible. Lockman and Foundation Press are aware of these problems and they are working to correct these shortfalls. In summary, if you're shopping for a Wide Margin NASB Update, and cross-references are not important to your method of Bible study, this is the Bible for you. The investment in the Top-Grain Leather is worth it just to hold it in your hands as you "taste" the word of God.

Great Cover---One of it's kind!
The In-Touch Ministries edition of the NASBU is a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind Bible, with buttery-soft calfskin leather in your choice of navy blue, burgundy, or black. It even excels the Cambridge editions. It is smyth-sewn, and has quality paper.
Unfortunately, all the Bible has is text and concordance with coloured maps in the back, and wide margins. No helps whatsoever.
I would even hesitate before I marked up the Bible, that's how beautiful it is. However, if all you want is a pretty cover, buy it. Otherwise, forget it. Other NASBU reference or study Bibles in genuine or top-grain leather are available at lesser cost. So, save yourself a few bucks and get yourself something that has more information.

Beautifully aesthetic and Highly Accurate
I just received my NASB Wide Margin Edition. To me, the aesthetic qualties of a Bible are important. And in terms of the aesthetic qualities of this Bible--well, the leather is a delight to the eyes and feels wonderful as it just lays in your hand like a well-worn baseball glove. The paper is wonderful. [One of the things that bugs me about so many Bibles on the market today is the flimsiness of the paper--with all the attendant problems--bleed through, etc.] The text itself is nice and clean. A comfortable size font that is easy on the eyes and uncluttered in appearance. In short, IN TOUCH MINISTRIES and LOCKMAN FOUNDATION have produced a product that is an absolute delight to the senses.

I have used many translations over the years. But I find myself always going back to the NASB. I just know that when all is said and done, I "trust" it. I use the NIV also, but there are just too many passages in the NIV that, upon closer examination, add or subtract from the text of the original Greek. For example, in Luke 9:62 the NIV translators add two words to the text that are not in the Greek "...no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for SERVICE IN the kingdom of God." The NASB simply translates what the actual Greek text says--"...look back IS FIT FOR the kingdom of God." If I did not know Greek, I would not have known that the NIV adds words that are not in the Greek text. In short, the NAS does not supply so much "interpretation" to the actual Greek text. It sticks to "translation." I just find over and over again, that when I read my NIV I either have to pull out my Nestle Greek text or my NAS to see if that is what the verse REALLY says.

The NIV is a great translation in many ways, but for serious Bible study, the NASB is, I believe, the most trustworthy translation on the market. And so, if you are going to go with the NASB text, why not get one with the best aesthetic qualities as well? This Bible has it all!!!

Only 3 drawbacks: I wish this Bible had included:
1. the cross-references found in most editions of the NASB
2. ALL of the footnotes that appear in most editions of the NASB (this one is pretty bare-bones), and
3. a little more margin space on the inside margins (not a whole lot of room to write on the inside margins).

But on the whole, I love it and am glad I purchased it. It's my favorite Bible (and I have many Bibles).


Strawberry Road
Published in Paperback by Authorlink Press (1999)
Author: Stanley R. Moore
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A novel with heart, conscience, & great entertainment value.
Stanley R. Moore is an ex-Secret Service Naval officer, actor, race-car driver, advertising writer, in general, a jack of all trades. His first novel was Nightshade, and he also wrote a screenplay for "El Monosabio" which became a feature film. Moore introduces the reader to Jerome Joseph Jordan, Rome for short. At age 49, Rome is terrified of losing his advertising position. He is receiving fewer accounts, and the business just hasn't been the same since the disappearance of his friend Murray. Unusual things begin to happen to Rome: a bomb is found on the floor of his building; a man named Harrow blackmails him into snooping into employee records and passing information; someone sends him a dismembered thumb in the mail; and he and his autistic son find a woman's dead body at a soccer game his daughter is playing in. Murray's wife keeps asking "why can't we live a normal life like everyone else?" Indeed, Rome's life keeps taking on new and devious paths. He continually thinks of Murray, and how his friend would have handled the situation. And he worries that the increasing number at deaths at his company and the information he is uncovering in his search of employee's files might be connected. He is continually followed by people trying to kill him, the police seem to be constantly on his tail, and he doesn't know which side of the fence Harrow is really on. And then there is Pamela, the new young suit clawing her way to the top of the company:

"Pamela tossed her head back and laughed a long and bawdy laugh. She pushed her plate away and tucked her knees up on the chair. Her expression grew more serious. 'I like you, Rome, I really like you.' Uh-oh. Here it comes. The moment of truth. 'Thank you,' I said. 'I like you too.' I tried to say it as I meant it. With sincerity, not sexuality."

Strawberry Road is the ultimate industrial espionage story, in which moral decisions must be made by a man who is in the grips of his own personal crisis. His work and family are falling apart, a situation brought on by the greed of corporate America. He must make the choice between his helpless son and the killing of millions of people. Moore's experience and maturity produce a novel with heart, conscience, and supreme entertainment value.

Shelly Glodowski Reviewer

A superbly suspenseful, compelling suspense novel.
In Stanley Moore's Strawberry Road, an innocent family is in mortal danger for no apparent reason. A bomb appears in an office, blackmail provokes deadly espionage, a brilliant female executive keeps everyone guessing, and the family must choose whether to sacrifice millions of people or the life of a helpless child. Then things really start to get complicated! Strawberry Road is one of those superbly suspenseful novels that engage the reader from first page to last. Also highly recommended is Moore's debut novel Nightshade, published by New American Library.

A novel of heart, conscience, and supreme entertainment.
Stanley R. Moore is an ex-Secret Service Naval officer, actor,race-car driver, advertising writer, in general, a jack of all trades.His first novel was Nightshade, and he also wrote a screenplay for "El Monosabio" which became a feature film.

Moore introduces the reader to Jerome Joseph Jordan, Rome for short. At age 49, Rome is terrified of losing his advertising position. He is receiving fewer accounts, and the business just hasn't been the same since the disappearance of his friend Murray. Unusual things begin to happen to Rome: a bomb is found on the floor of his building; a man named Harrow blackmails him into snooping into employee records and passing information; someone sends him a dismembered thumb in the mail; and he and his autistic son find a woman's dead body at a soccer game his daughter is playing in. Murray's wife keeps asking "why can't we live a normal life like everyone else?"

Indeed, Rome's life keeps taking on new and devious paths. He continually thinks of Murray, and how his friend would have handled the situation. And he worries that the increasing number at deaths at his company and the information he is uncovering in his search of employee's files might be connected. He is continually followed by people trying to kill him, the police seem to be constantly on his tail, and he doesn't know which side of the fence Harrow is really on. And then there is Pamela, the new young suit clawing her way to the top of the company:

"Pamela tossed her head back and laughed a long and bawdy laugh. She pushed her plate away and tucked her knees up on the chair. Her expression grew more serious. 'I like you, Rome, I really like you.' Uh-oh. Here it comes. The moment of truth. 'Thank you,' I said. 'I like you too.' I tried to say it as I meant it. With sincerity, not sexuality."

Strawberry Road is the ultimate industrial espionage story, in which moral decisions must be made by a man who is in the grips of his own personal crisis. His work and family are falling apart, a situation brought on by the greed of corporate America. He must make the choice between his helpless son and the killing of millions of people. Moore's experience and maturity produce a novel with heart, conscience, and supreme entertainment value.

Shelly Glodowski, Reviewer


The Healthy College Cookbook: Quick, Cheap, Easy
Published in Paperback by Storey Books (1999)
Authors: Alexandra Nimetz, Jason Stanley, and Emeline Starr
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A fantastic resource for recent college grads.
I am a recent college graduate and have received the "HEALTHY COLLEGE COOKBOOK" as a graduation gift. Having lived off campus my senior year, I know how hard it is to cook for myself while at the same upholding a busy schedule. This book would have been perfect to have had this past year. Instead of resorting to take-out food I could have cooked quick, healthy meals for myself. Clearly, the authors spent a good deal of time testing their recipes, for the dishes I have tried thus far have been delicious. I am also impressed with the variety of recipes such as vegetarian dishes, and quick appetizers. I especially recommend Anne's Veggie Lasagna and Chicken Santa Fe. Finally, a great cookbook for non-cooks!

It got me through Graduate School
Putting in 90-100 hour weeks during Graduate school, I needed a basic but comprehensive cookbook where the meals wouldn't take long, the ingredient list wasn't huge, but the meals would still be flavorful. I picked up this little gem. I can't even count how many times I've cooked my favorite recipes out of this book--Vegetarian Lasagna, Balsamic Chicken & Potatoes, the list goes on and on. This cookbook covers every meal item possible and gives you a great combination of classic and unique recipes that anyone can make. You don't have to be a BAD cook to get this book, the authors are sensitive to the fast-paced lifestyle many people have and present this as an alternative to lengthy cooking. And now that I'm out of the Graduate School schedule, guess what -- I'm still making these recipes.

This book really has made my life quick, cheap and easy.
The Healthy College Cookbook is not just for college kids. I am a recent college alum, living and working in New York City. For several months, I ate myself out of house and home as New York delis and restaurants sucked the cash right out of my pocket, cooking seemed like a hastle so I didn't do it! Since I ordered the Healthy College Cookbook, I am cooking more, eating better, and saving money - with these simple recipes, cooking's no hastle, it's easy. I recommend this book to any college student or young adult cooking for themselves for the first time.


My Utmost for His Highest: An Updated Edition in Today's Language
Published in Hardcover by Discovery House Pub (1992)
Authors: Oswald Chambers, James Reimann, and Charles F. Stanley
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Best Christian devotional book I've read
This little book has impacted my personal Christian walk more than any other book besides the Bible.

Mr Chambers has managed so well to sublimate his life to the control of the Almighty that I continuously sense God's Holy Spirit speaking through the pages Mr Chambers wrote.

It's as if God reaches through the mere two paragraphs per day and grabs me by the lapels saying "I want YOU! I want ALL of you! Just trust ME to take care of your every need..."

I deeply appreciate this call to a whole hearted Christianity in today's pluralistic society. Oswald Chambers is an author whose work I will read and re-read into the foreseable future.

Roadmap to a walk with Christ!
This compilation of Oswald Chamber essays and sermons was originally captured by his wife after his death. The format of a daily devotional provides an excellent daily read for the avid and growing Christian.

The individual devotionals are not easily devoured in one reading, generally requiring a second or third reading to fully grasp the depth of Oswald Chambers' deeply Christian messages based on Biblical scriptures. This is not light reading, but in the small fifteen minute devotional increments daily, this makes for excellent reading and provides specific daily focus for the Christian reader. This thought-provoking book can easily become a favorite habit, and it also makes an excellent evangelical gift to those who are new to Christianity.

If you buy only one Christian book this year, buying Oswald Chambers' 'My Utmost for His Highest' would be an excellent choice.

Continually shocks me with its relevance
I received this book as a Christmas present and in the month and a half that I've been reading it on a daily basis, it continues to speak to my spiritual condition in a way that's almost eerie. Not every day hits but those that do shock me back to my faith journey and remind me about where I should be focused. How could He/he (God and Oswald Chambers) know so accurately what I need to hear? As a committed Quaker (Religious Society of Friends), I have been surprised to find that "My Utmost" transcends the unfortunate Christian political divisions and meets us as followers of Christ. This book had become as central to my daily routine as brushing my teeth but far less rote!


Quo Vadis?
Published in Hardcover by Hippocrene Books (1992)
Authors: Stanley F. Conrad and Henryk K. Sienkiewicz
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Love and religion, or the religion of love
This novel has ideas, romance, violence, adventure, mysticism, and politics, so it can't be boring even if some reviewers complain about its slow start. Set in the middle of Nero's tenure in power, in the First century AD, it tells the story of Vinitius, a Roman military officer from a Patricious family with good standing at the court. He has the friendship and protection of Petronius, the Arbiter of Elegancy, a sensual, rich and cultivated man with much influence in court. Vinitius falls in love with the beautiful slave Ligia, who is a Christian living with a Roman Patricious family also converted to Christianity. Through his obsession with her, he gradually discovers the new religion and realizes the moral pit in which his culture has been decaying. Then Nero sets Rome on fire and Vinitius finds out that he'll have to rebel against the State in order to gain love. He is baptized and suffers persecution. Then he has to rescue his beloved from the Colliseum, just when she's going to be throwed in to the lions. The end is mystical and completely beautiful, and that's when you understand the title, which means "Where are you going, my Lord?", and is pronounced by St. Peter as he is fleeing Rome.

A very entertaining and rewarding novel, it is also a fictional testimony of the early years of Christendom. My favorite character is Petronius, a liberal, magnanimous and "cool" Pagan Roman who finds disgrace for protecting those he loves. very recommended.

Equivalent to a top-class fast paced thriller
Given that Mr Sienkiewicz won the Nobel literary prize for mainly this work, that alone is a pretty good bet for reading it. Written in the 1890's, this book is seen as one of the world's first "bestseller" novels, and is definitely an epic of, well, epic proportions.

Unfortunately, the book does suffer slightly as a result of the translation, as noted by an earlier reviewer, so if you can read Polish, do get the original version. Nevertheless, although the book starts off a tad slow, think of the beginning as a push off from a cliff, because after that it's as fast paced a thriller as money can buy.

A basic exposure to Roman and Christian history will make the book really come alive. Although certain "facts" are not correct, or have been omitted, remember that the book is meant to be fiction. The historical events are merely a platform for a passionate love story between a pagan Roman and a Christian girl. However, it is the seeming impossibility of this love, together with descriptions of the nearly moronic Roman "royal court", keeps you reading well into the night. The emotional roller-coaster makes you, the reader, feel exhausted.

Definitely recommended, and one of the most enjoyable books I've read.

If you liked this, do check out his other novels - especially the brilliant "Teutonic Knights" which is another epic of a young Polish knight (and of course a lovely maiden or two thrown in for good measure) and the history of middle ages Poland up to the battle of Grunwald where the Teutonic Knights were defeated.

Underappreciated Greatness
Quo Vadis has impacted my life greatly. I have never seen a book that explores the Christian view on romance and early Christianity so clearly. It was nourishing and exciting. This is a character-driven story, and I don't see how anyone could put it down. The verisimilitude of Rome was astonishing! Hey, high school students, this is a great way to get a grip on how things worked in early A.D. Rome. Nero, Lydia, Marcus, and Petronius were unforgetable characters. This is love at its greatest! Romance the way it should be, unselfish and pure. The transformation we see of Marcus motives of love is the most piercing literature I've ever read. It has been a year since I've read it and I'm still raving about it! Hey, guys, this is a cool book for men to learn about love. I'm telling you, it is worth it!


The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance
Published in Hardcover by Atlantic Monthly Press (1990)
Authors: Ron Chernow and Ron Chernnow
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Possibly the best business history ever written
Ron Chernow's "The House of Morgan" is both an engaging history of the Morgan banks and a brilliant account of the growth of global finance from Victorian times through the late 1980's. It's every bit as enjoyable as Chernow's "The Warburgs," but provides a better analysis than the Warburg book of key business and political developments of the 20th century.

No one should be intimidated by this book's length or the complexity of its subject. Its pages are rich with lively portraits of the sometimes quirky men who ran the Morgan banks, the high and mighty of the world with whom they did business, and the world's many critics of such concentrated economic might. Pierpont and Jack Morgan and their successors at the top get the most detailed treatment, but figures as diverse as Brandeis, Mussolini, Lindbergh (the son-in-law of a top Morgan partner), Bryan, Theodore Roosevelt and Margaret Thatcher all play a part in the story, not to mention interesting but lesser-known figures like Ferdinand Pecora, Judge Harold Medina and central bankers from Britain, Germany, Italy and Japan.

As a backdrop to the Morgan saga, this book includes accounts of the main events of 20th-century financial history, such as the Panic of 1907, the creation of the Federal Reserve system, the Crash of 1929 and the depression and bank failures that followed it, the New Dealers' attack on banks led by Pecora that resulted in the Glass-Steagall Act and the separation of commercial banking from investment banking, and the rise of hostile takeovers, Eurodollars, petrodollars, Latin American lending, junk bonds and the securitization of debt, all refreshingly written for laymen rather than experts.

"The House of Morgan" has perhaps two overriding themes. The first is that as the years have passed, and the Morgan banks have faced increasing competition, the Morgan bankers' need to maintain their global preeminence has led them to take bigger and bigger risks. Some of these risks have resulted in large financial loss, but more often they have resulted in a loss of both public and customers' confidence, which has eroded the very preeminence that the banks seek to maintain. The second theme is that the top Morgan bankers have consistently underestimated the power of government to control what they do, and even make their lives miserable. From Pierpont on down, they have ignored government at their peril. It's almost a certainty that with the next big economic downturn, the Morgan banks will be attacked again, and I hope that Chernow will be on the scene to provide an account of it.

A remarkable achievement
Ron Chernow is arguably the best business historian writing today. His ambitious attempt to tell the story of the famed banking dynasty of J.P Morgan could not have succeeded more brilliantly. Here is a story not of just a bank. It is even more than simply the story of the financial services industry. It is, in fact, the story of the modern era, where everyone from Teddy Roosevelt and Benito Mussolini to Paul Volker and Ivan Boesky figure prominently.

At the heart of this epic is a great paradox: the rise of modern global finance ushered in the demise of the banker. In J.P. Morgan's day, a small group of bankers held sway over giant corporations and the governments of global powers, serving as intimate advisors and self-regulating their industry with a strict but unwritten gentleman banker's code of conduct. The institutions that banks like Morgan created ultimately grew too powerful to control. Whereas once governments and companies were at the mercy of their bankers, today the reverse is true. Chernow tells the story of this transformation in exquisite detail and with admirable clarity.

As interesting and well written as this book is, some may still find it to be a challenge to finish. For those who like to read a few pages before bed every night, you should expect the "House of Morgan" to be on the nightstand for several months. However, if you have the time and commitment, you'll likely find the experience of reading this book to be a worthwhile and fulfilling one.

Great story
This book is superbly written.
The House of Morgan tells a fascinating story of the Morgan family's dominance of the American banking industry. After reading this book, you will find out that it was not the famous one, J. Pierpont Morgan, who oversaw the greatest expansion of Morgan power but rather it was his son, Jack Morgan. This doesn't seem to be very known.
Even more interesting than the story of the Morgans and their various firms is the other story that this book tells - the story of the banking business. House of Morgan effectively chronicles the tremendous shift that occurred in the financial industry. When Pierpont opened shop in the 19th Century, banking was a clubby business, where decisions were made by consensus among men. Although certainly not inclusive or politically correct, it almost seems quaint in comparison to modern office life. It was far from the litigious, contentious style that seems to be present in the modern versions of these corporations. Chernow does a great job at depicting it all.


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