A very concise how-to book on strategic planning for today's fire department whether it is volunteer or paid. Step by step plans as well as forms and other useful information to use. Very helpful for first time strategic planners as well as those updating their plans.

More often than not, we look to business and industry for answers to fire service problems. Most business strategic planning models have limited application to our profession. Mark Wallace has developed a fire department specific model that provides an excellent template in identifying medium and long range strategic planning issues. I have read this text and highly recomment it to the proactive planners of the future.

Wallace and Gromit rock! They are the stars of some of the cleverest animation around. Great story to go with the film.

diabolically entertaining and cleverly humorous--this is my favorite "Wallace and Gromit". the penguin adds the much needed tension that seperates the mind set of the crafty dog Gromit from his simpleton owner, Wallace. it is an enjoyable narrative for all ages.

This book is the real deal: sharp, smart, and engaging. A deceptively "easy" read, it's got a smooth surface w/ plenty of barbs hidden underneath, making it the perfect sort of book to return to for multiple readings. Buy it; buy copies for your friends; buy copies to hand out to people waiting on their double mocha lattes at Starbucks. They'll thank you for it later.

I love all of Nick Park's characters in his movies I absolutly love the character Gromit because he aks so civilized. I also enjoy Wallace's loving,care free,and sometimes comical moods.

If you are reading this book because you think it is a good follow up to the Spear of Destiny you are wrong. Don't waste you time buying this it has nothing to do with the Spear. He talks about the Freemasony being a platform for occult groups, 777, ect. If you can get this from a library do it, but don't buy it. The Co-author, Tim Wallace-Murphy, needs to write his own books instead of stealing ideas from classic works. Overall it's a quick read, somewhat interesting, but nothing compared to the first. R.I.P. Ravenscoft

Spear of Destiny, Cup of Destiny and now this make the ultimate triology, this is the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars with one difference its real and is going on in our lives right now. These are historical figures in the battle of good vs. evil and its still being played out right here right now, and to make things more interesting. The one who comes to entrap us all is here. Read about it, and prepare, for it all prepares the way for yet another event. These books have changed my life. He cometh with clouds. Mark B.email grokfish@gte.net

I am familiar with Mr. Ravenscroft's work and believe that he is truly at the top of his form. If the subject interests you, do read his earlier work, and please take a look at The Spear of Golgotha, Richard Greenwald, a fictionalized delve into familiar territory. Five stars for Ravenscroft.

Being a furry myself, I was drawn to this book simply by looking at the cover art. In fact, the art throughout (even at the beginning) is really sweet compared to what else was out there at the time. The character development and facial expressions are there, and done quite nicely, although Mark (rest his soul) doesn't explain where Maya (the elephant) comes in...she's just there starting in one chapter and then for the duration. Speaking of development you see friendship begin between Marphissa and Alix, not to mention how the girls start to develope the muscles and strength necessary to be warriors. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, cover to cover, and can promise you won't regret making this purchase.

Granted, I'm biased as I apprenticed to Mark Wallace under his alias of Baron William Blackfox of the SCA. Well known throughout the SCA world for his portraits and comic strips dealing with SCA life in a furry vein, Vixen's Keep is a tribute to both him and the women of the society that worked with him to compile a book that sums up all the difficulties of being a woman in a man's world.

If you are not familiar with the SCA, don't worry, it does not make any difference to the story. Set in the middle ages, with delightfully colorful characters, the story focuses on a girl's school of both the fighting and the social arts. Captain Rose is more than just a seasoned warrior with the foxy attributes that come with it, but she is also a wise mentor for many young women, struggling to overcome their own weaknesses and difficulties.

Captain Rose's driving ambition is to keep the fighting ladies of the middle ages from being labeled as either dykes or frail flowers putting on a show, but making them people in their own right, to be respected by their own merits, not by the merits of whatever man that speaks for them.

Not Feminist by a long shot, but rather Fem-affirming, it focuses on what is good about being female, rather than what is bad about being a man. A definate up beat book that has me smiling everytime I read it. An excellent tribute to the late Mark Wallace and his wit & humour. His tallent will be missed.

Hopp and Spearman wrote the classic issues, manufacturing system, in elegant format. The fundamental of manufacturing systems is deliberately compiled in a single textbook. If you like Askin and Standridge book (1994), you will love this book as well. One thing that forbids me to put 5 stars is this book doesn't have the "material flow/facilities design" issue, which I believe it is the foundation of manufacturing management too. I thought the facilities planning would be included in 2nd edition- but nope :( May be in 3rd edition... maybe... :(

As a supply chain consultant, oftentimes the quality of my work is directly impacted by the reference aids in my own personal library. "Factory Physics" is such a reference aid that has my work has benefitted from several times.

The book covers all of the traditional manufacturing topics you would expect in sufficient detail: inventory control, JIT, production scheduling, capacity planning, shop floor control, etc. But given that you can buy any number of other suitable, standard P&IC textbooks on these topics, that's not where the value is.

The value in "Factory Physics" lies in the unique content which presents manufacturing management in a "scientific" context. For example, there are chapters on 'Basic Factory Dynamics,' 'Variability Basics,' and 'The Corrupting Influence on Variability.' These chapters demonstrate how manufacturing managers and engineers can move away from the rule-of-thumb, heuristics-based approach to operations planning and control (which is so often is either a guessing game or not based on empirical data) to a more formal, rule- and data-driven approach.

For example, I have been in many factories where management had only a SWAG approach to modeling equipment reliabilities, cycle times and throughput volumes, which drive queues and thus impact shop floor inventory. This book gives you the tools to properly understand these dynamics, if these are important issues to you.

The content in the book on the corrupting influence of variability is a welcome harkening back to the ideas of Edward Deming, who consistently preached about the damage that variation can do when introduced into stable production environments. In my opinion, this is another example of the unique and rare content offered by "Factory Physics."

Other value-adding content includes discussions sprinkled throughout the book on the fallacies and disadvantages of age-old planning and control methodologies, such as MRP or EOQ. In a world where 99% of textbooks believe their only duty to the reader is to simply present laundry lists of all the planning techniques known to humankind, these critical commentaries are a breath of fresh air.

I don't recommend this book lightly, or to individuals who are only loosely associated with operations planning and control positions. Rather, I highly, highly recommend it to serious, mature manufacturing professionals who are not timid of higher level mathematics, statistics and probability theory. If not, the reader would probably not be able to realize the true value of the book and it would go unused.

A former client of mine, who was nice guy but a novice when it came to manufacturing issues, asked me if he should buy "Factory Physics" for his own use. My response to him was this: "If you wanted to learn more about physics you probably wouldn't order reprints of papers by Einstein, Hawking, Bohr, etc. You would go and buy something like 'Physics for Dummies' and start there. I suggest you do the same for manufacturing content."

This book is a reference in Manufacturing Management. All the basic and complex tools of manufacturing are explained and the historical context of their creation is introduced. More interesting is the global understanding of manufacturing issues and the explanations to go beyond the principles of "zero defect", "zero inventory", ... I learned a lot.

I enjoy this book, because when i go online i have SO much fun going to different sights! I think that other people reading these reviews should totally get this book! I promise you, you will never get on the internet and be bored again!

Overview: Give credit to authors Wallace and Mangan: they wear their sympathy on their sleeves. "Sex, Laws, and Cyberspace" is not intended to be an objective review of the state of First Amendment protection on the Net; it is a passionate argument for redefining how we apply the First Amendment to the Internet. This passion is both the book's strength and its weakness, as it will reinforce beliefs but not necessarily win converts. The book's outstanding summary of major events in Internet law will provide researchers with tremendous details in the years to come.

Full text of this review is at: http://www.redstreet.com/readingroom/reviews/sexlaws.htm

Sad to say this is the first time in 30+ years that I had to take a book and throw it in the closet. "Mark of the Werewolf" begins like the first 80 pages have been eliminated and your starting in the middle. The characters were not integrated into the novel they seemed to just jump out at you at the most peculiar moment. Not worth the $.. dollars invested.

Reading A.B. Wallace's "The Mark of the Werewolf" is like stepping into a long novel that has hit full stride, or catching a movie after all the boring build-up has past. Not that this book doesn't have build up of its own. It opens with a bang and ends with one and there is plenty in between to sustain readers who love almost every genre. I kept thinking about the movie "Wolf" as I read this one. Not only for the werewolf elements, but for the big city atmosphere and the suspenseful moments of mystery and intrigue. The dialogue is very well written and the prose is quick to the punch yet articulate. The chapers are rather short, which lends "The Mark of the Werewolf" to be seen, at least in the eyes of this reviewer, like a movie on the page. A.B. Wallace has created her own world in her own voice within the realm of reality. Highly recommended!

All kidding aside, this is a must read novel for all fans of the werewolf/horror genre! Ms. Wallace's tight plotting and masterful manipulation of the setting reminds this reviewer of Whitley Strieber's bestseller--"WOLFEN." The backdrop of the Big Apple's cityscape and the rich characterization add to the blood-curdling terror. This author is almost sadistic: she reels us in and out with no mercy, causing the reader many sleepless nights! As Dean R. Koontz says, "... true suspense is achieved when the writer understands the proper focus. Too many writers create a scene where a busload of nuns is struck by an onrushing train,and then--linger there. Suspense is created by the question: where is the train going and who will be it's next victim? Ms. Wallace has obvisiously done her homework!