The River Ran Red tells the story of the Homestead Strike of 1892 using firsthand sources (for example exerpts from Carnegie's speeches, local and national papers and even memos from H.C. Frick). This book comes alive more than any other book on the strike because it is told by firsthand sources, not a stuffy historian's view.

It is a beautiful book full of colors. The book itself could be an art work. The authour shows us how we could introduce more bright colors into our house decoration without being too offensive. Very inspiring resource for anyone who is interested in colors. It is worth taking a look at for everybody.

If your idea of love is limited to visions of puppies and balloons, The Thing About Love Is... probably not for you. In Polyphony Press' first effort, the heavy topic of love is tackled in gritty, gutsy pieces that cut to core of this complex emotion. Sometimes it's bliss, sometimes it's bizarre, and quite often it hurts, but regardless of its form, love is always intriguing. This anthology is in keeping with that notion. With a variety of styles and voices, the works featured here are unanimous in their ability to draw the reader in and keep him hooked. It is truly a great read that may challenge one's personal definition of love. Call it an enjoyable experiment in mind expansion!

It's difficult to find an anthology that has as much stopping power as this one. Reading it, I was impressed not only by the diversity of the authorial voices, but also by their veracity. Each story, poem and play seems to have come straight from the gut. What's more, the contributing writers help to remove our blinders; particularly when it comes to matters of the heart. Love, they argue, is nothing less than a battlefield on which each of us daily chances victory or defeat.Those seeking to enter the contest fully armed would do well to buy this book.

Anthologies are not my usual choice of reading material, but as this was recommended to me, I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. While I could not relate to some of the pieces here, I enjoyed the underlying topic immensely. The poetry, drama, and short stories were a good blend. The Thing About Love Is... an enjoyable and fast read, but has a peculiar lingering effect that required that I return to it for further exploration. It's a perfect book to read from the relative comfort and safety of your best chair, where you know that you can dip into the joy and angst of love and for once, walk away unscathed.

As someone who loves US history, politics, and psychology, I've always been fascinated by books which try to "psychoanalyze" Presidents and historical figures. Two books which have done this are Dr. James David Barber's "Presidential Character" and William Strauss and Neil Howe's "Generations", which looks at US history throught the prism of four generational types, which repeat themselves in cycles (they argue that the Baby Boomers are the descendants of the Puritans!). And this book, "Presidential Temperament", uses a system which should be familiar to many readers. The book's authors use the well-known Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to "type" each of our Presidents. Many businesses and schools use the Myers-Briggs test, but for those who are not familiar with the system, it tests people on four different sets of preferences (Extrovert-Introvert, Sensing-Intuition, Thinking-Feeling, and Judging-Perceiving). Thus, there is an "ISTJ" type (quiet, reserved, methodical, thorough, practical, etc.); an "ESFP" type (outgoing, "touchy-feely", compassionate, idealistic, spontaneous, etc.), and so on. The test is not supposed to be used to judge or rate other people, as every type is useful and necessary to make our society function. In "Presidential Temperament" the Myers-Briggs test is applied to all of our Presidents since Washington. The authors use biography and history books to examine the childhoods, personalities, leadership styles, successes and failures of the Presidents to place them into one of three Myers-Briggs types: Artisans, Guardians, and Rationals (a fourth type, the Idealists, have never had a US President, according to the authors. Instead, leaders such as Gandhi and Eleanor Roosevelt fall into this category). The Artisans are the "SP" types - fun-loving, optimistic, tough-minded, and above all, action-oriented. They love the "action" part of politics - they live in the "here-and-now" and are great at dealing with crises. Among the Presidents in this category are both Roosevelts, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. The "Guardian" types are the "SJ"s - they are tradition-oriented, generally honest and reliable, addicted to duty and "law-and-order". They are the good managers and administrators who keep things running smoothly, but they dislike change. According to the authors, George Washington, Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman, and the first George Bush all fall into this category. The final category are the "Rationals" - they are "NT"s on the Myers-Briggs scale. They are the visionaries and strategists - they can marshall great forces to accomplish great things, but can be undermined by their distaste for showing emotion and "people skills" in public. They are extremely intelligent, but can come across as arrogant or aloof. Thomas Jefferson, both Adamses, Abraham Lincoln, and Dwight Eisenhower are all Rationals, according to the book. After "typing" each President, the authors then show how their temperament type affected their Presidency - Jefferson the Rationalist designing the University of Virginia and envisioning a continent-size United States, hence the Lousiana Purchase; Franklin Roosevelt the Artisan "Performer" dealing with the twin crises of the Great Depression and World War Two, etc. This is all truly fascinating, even if you don't always agree with the author's claims. However, the book is severely hampered by the numerous factual errors that I found. For example, in the chapter on Bill Clinton they listed his birthday as August 19, 1947 (it is actually August 19, 1946), and then later in the same chapter gave his birthdate as August 14, 1946. John Quincy Adams' birthday is given as July 11, 1967 (he was born in 1767), and Eisenhower's birthday is listed as October 14, 1880 (he was born in 1890). Woodrow Wilson is listed as having lived in Atlanta during the Civil War, but he actually lived in Augusta, not Atlanta. The chapter on William Henry Harrison even has an incorrect photograph - it has a large photo of James Buchanan labeled as Harrison! While these errors may seem insignificant by themselves, taken together (and there are numerous other inaccuracies, from presidential birthdays to biographical information) they cast some real doubt on the author's credibility and research. In short, while "Presidential Temperament" is a fascinating "psychological" look at our Chief Executives, the many historical errors left me wondering just how much "research" and editing the authors put into their arguments - and that overall makes the book something of a disappointment.

Profound understanding of what makes Presidents tick. This book answers nagging questions about our current and past Presidents. Most importantly, it provides in-depth understanding of what we voters should be considering when we evaluate the presidential choices before us. For example, how would McCain's personality contrast with Bush's? If our relationship with Russia heats up, would it be better to have McCain, Bush, or Gore in the White House? A must read for any thoughtful voter.

The authors provide us with extensive biographical information on each of the presidents, and a lucid, thorough explanation of how temperament infuenced the actions of each president; in the same political climate, leaders with different personality styles may well have made different decisions. The book is well written, interesting, and extremely relevent in a time when many Americans are questioning the character of their highest officals and preparing for a new presidential election. It gets a "two thumbs up" rating!

This book is one of the best Myers-Briggs books available. it explains the different types, and talks about temperment. The best part of this book is that it provides such a detailed explanation of the importance of temperments. The book is also extremely good at explaining how one's type can impact their behaviour, particularly in the area of communication, and the potential impact this can have on personal relationships. Reading this book gave me greater insight into myself and other people. The examples the authors give really helped to make the book interesting. The writing style can be dry at times.

I have to add two caveats: First, there is a newer book, Please Understand Me II, that has been recently released. I would have to suggest, having seen this book (although I haven't read it through, or purchased it yet) that the newer book might be more worthwhile to read first. Second, this book is really geared to people who are either very familiar with the MBTI, or who are trained facilitators who are actually able to administer the test. It is a rather technical book. It gets into a lot of detail - much more than the average reader may need, at times. This book can be slow, difficult reading at times.

As a result, if you aren't familiar with the MBTI, I'd have to reccommend that you start with a book like Lifetypes, or Do What You Are. Another excellent book, if you are already pretty confident about your own type and want to strengthen your ability to communicate with people who are different than you, is The Art of Speedreading People.

Keirsey's explanation of the different temperaments was a real eye-opener for me. Finally I understand why people get upset with certain of my character traits, and why I always felt so misunderstood by some people. It was a big relief to know that after all, I'm "normal", and so are the others. Where there used to be resentment on my or the others' part, we now knowingly smile at each other, saying "ah, there shows your J again, can't help it, can you?"

Keirsey introduces us to four basic opposite tendencies in temperament, then describes the temperaments, and applies this to the areas of relationships, work, children, and learning.

The book starts with a questionnaire that you can take to determine your type. I would strongly advise not to just read the part about your own type, though. The real aha effect comes when you read about the others, too. You won't even need everyone to take the test, you'll know just by what you've read what types you're dealing with. It's fun to realize our differences and see them in a new light.

As a Dating, Marriage, and Divorce Counselor, as well as a Staff Placement Consultant for professional corporations, my expertise is the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. I have personally interpreted one-on-one more than 1,500 Indicators. Please Understand Me is the book I recommend all those who take the test to read first. It is simple. Well-formatted. To the point. Informative. Accurate. It is wonderful to see light bulbs come on in people's heads when they read about themselves through this book. Thank goodness for Keirsey and Bates who took the time to write this book! I recommend it highly for people who desire to learn about themselves. The most terrific thing is that the reading is not only simple, it's lots of fun!!

Dr. P.

I have used the 3rd edition of this text since I was an undergraduate in nutrition studies 20 years ago and eagerly await the 6th edition now available. Among all my texts in nutrition, biochemistry, diagnosis of nutrition related problems, and clinical application of biochemistry, I have returned to this text the most often. It has reliably given the most applicable, actionable information for my own work in nutrition care practice today. It has also been a fast reference for brushing up on obscure metabolic mysteries, useful for any practicing clinician.

David J. Collis is an Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School; Cynthia Montgomery is a Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. This particular article was published in the July-August 1995 issue of the Harvard Business Review.

According to the authors "strategy has become deeply problematic at the corporate level." But in this article they introduce a framework that has the potential to cut through the confusion. The so-called resource-based view (RBV) of the firm aims to combine the internal analysis within companies with the external analysis of the industry and the competitive environment. "The RBV sees companies as very different collections of physical and intangible assets and capabilities." Collis and Montgomery discuss the various forms resources can take, including physical, intangible, organizational capability. They also provide five external market tests to measure the value of resources. Managers should then build their strategies on resources that meet those five external market tests, which involves investing in resources, upgrading resources, and leveraging resources. "Strategy that blends two power sets of insights about capabilities and competition represents an enduring logic that transcends management fads." The authors complement the article with a brief history of strategy and a short update on Boston Consulting Group's famous growth/share matrix. Companies such as Newell, Cooper, Disney, and Sharp are used as examples.

Clear article describing the resource-based view of the firm, which is grounded in economics and explains how a company's resources drive its performance in a dynamic competitive environment. The article explains the links between the different schools of strategic management (positioning, core competencies, learning organization, TQM) and how all those concepts can be "interpreted as a mandate to build a unique set of resources and capabilities." I recommend this article to all people interested in strategic management and MBA-students. Collis and Montgomery also the authors of 'Corporate Strategy, Resources and the Scope of the Firm' (1997) and 'Creating Corporate Advantage' (HBR, May-June 1998). The article is written in business US-English.

David J. Collis is Visting Associate Professor at Yale University's School of Management; Cynthia A. Montgomery is Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. This Harvard Business Review article was published in May-June 1998. They are also the authors of textbook 'Corporate Strategy, Resources and the Scope of the Firm' (1997) and 'Competing on Resources: Strategy in the 1990s' (HBR, July-August 1995).

In this article the authors summarize their findings of 6-year research into 50 companies which were aiming to create successful corporate strategies. The authors found that an outstanding corporate strategy is a carefully constructed system of interdependent parts, in which the firm's resources are the unifying thread. These resources range along a continuum, from highly specialized to very general. The authors describe the impact of the resource continuum on the scope of businesses firms should compete in, the coordination mechanisms, control systems, and corporate office size. Following the case studies of diversified manufacturer Newell, consumer-electronics giant Sharp, and conglomerate Tyco, the authors explain that there is no one right strategy for all companies. "There is no best prescription for all multibusiness corporations. What prevails instead is the logic of internally consistent corporate strategies tailored to a firm's resources and opportunities." But the authors also issue an warning: "The fact that there are potentially an unlimited variety of effective corporate strategies does not mean that most corporate strategies are effective." The authors' resource continuum and the range of strategies provide a useful starting point for checking corporate strategies. The acid test for any corporate strategy is: "The company's businesses must not be worth more to another owner."

Nice article on the subject of corporate strategy. Although it does not present many new insights, it provides a great overview into existing knowledge of corporate strategies. In this sense their resource continuum is extremely useful. And although the authors have strong academical backgrounds, the article makes great use of the case studies provided. Highly recommended to people working in diversified organizations and MBA-students. The authors use simple business US-English. I also recommend Michael Porter's 1987-article 'From Competitive Advantage to Corporate Strategy'.

i love pop-ups and this book is another one for the collection. this book proves that pop-ups can be both enjoy by children and adults alike.

This text is a brief overview of Corporate Strategy--more useful to someone who already knows the subject and needs a book to brush up on the material and "pull it all together." Concepts are not elaborated very well, forcing you to read passages twice. I also felt that sentences weren't structured in a very readable manner.

This text book is a very good guide for undergraduate level student for corporate strategy. However, it does not provide fruitful thought for doctoral student, like me.

A helpfull book for understanding the basic approach of corporate level atrategy and comprehensive undeerstanding about resource based approach in strategic management.

Although the analysis doesn't covered enough a competitive environment in emerging market such as Indonesia (I am an Indonesians), this book still represent an approach to the wildest world of competition, especially to the poeple who always deal with a decision in corporate level strategy.