Here are some of the MOST OBJECTIONABLE texts in this book on India -

India: Geography, Government, and People (adapted with permission from Venturing Abroad in Asia by Robert T. Moran International Management)

Page 444 - 8th paragraph

"There is not enough work for all their people, so poverty is prevalent. With an adult population of 326 million and official unemployment rate of 15 million, the last thing India needs is labor-saving modern equipment. Over the years, India has implemented intensive population control programs but none were successful. The high birth rate has been attributed to early marriage, the emphasis on bearing sons by the Hindu religion, the security of having children to take care of parents in old age, and the low level of education achieved by the rural masses.

Climate and culture contribute to the high incidence of disease and influence the patterns of work. The hot weather season brings constant dust, which results in various infections~ and eye irritations and also limits the outdoor physical activity. The cold, damp rainy season brings on colds, malaria and rheumatism. Their practice of vegetarianism contributes to malnutrition and protein deficiencies. The people of India have a general syndrome known as "weakness" brought on by their constant exposure to epidemic diseases such as cholera and typhus, and the malnutrition factor.

CORRECTION: This are very UNHEALTHY comments and illustrate pure ARROGANCE and IGNORANCE on the authors' part. They have NO MORAL right to blame India's culture and climate for its problems. Like everywhere else, people get used and adapted to the climate. And if they endure more, they should be stronger as they tend to develop immunity! Now, it has been proved that Vegetarian diet is as healthy (if not, more) as meat. For more info, please visit the link below -

[local website]STRANGE and INCORRECT!! - Why would the wealthy and educated with more resources suffer more often with malnutrition and the so called 'Weakness Syndrome' ?? ILLOGICAL!!

Page 445 - 5th paragraph

"Astrologers play an important role in India, as the people believe that nothing is accidental and the universe and all living components have a fundamental order."

Page 446 - 3rd - 4th paragraph

"It can be said that traditional Hindus are a nation of water drinkers"
"Western food is available in all the good hotels."

CORRECTION: Except health harming drinks, Hindus drink every good drink. Again, PURE ARROGANCE and IGNORANCE - good hotel does not mean Western food!!-

Professor Moran's class at the American Gaduate School of International Management is one of the more memorable experiences at that unique multinational training institution. While the school draws students from throughout the world, as an American, I feel justified in admitting that those who grow up in the United States are generally poorly prepared for cross-cultural relationships. Although the lessons I learned in that course have held me in good stead throughout my career and personal life, parts of it were a struggle. So is it with the latest edition of the course's text book.

A clue to this can be found on the title page which, in place of an editor, lists an "Editorial Coordinator." This book could benefit from some serious editorial rigor. It is marred by many typos, including such unfortunate ones as, "the Qur'an, the scared book of Muslims." Virtually every page has a totally useless pullout, quoting some profound phrase from that page. Selectively used, pullouts are supposed to increase the reader's interest in the material, but when it is carried to this extreme, it just wastes margin space that could otherwise be used for jotting down notes. One short but deadly paragraph manages to use the buzzwords 'empowered,' 'actualize, 'synergy,' and 'connect', which a good editor would have surgically removed. In spite of these execution flaws, I do feel that the book has merit, and recommend it for those who are interested in being more effective in cross-cultural situations.

The book is divided into three units. Curiously enough, the first two units both have the same title, "Cultural Impacts on Global Management." The first cultural impacts unit begins with an introduction building the case for greater cross-cultural skills on the part of managers. It concentrates on the particular problems that American managers have working outside of their culture. The chapter on communications starts getting into some real meat, introducing concepts such as communication context. Anthropologist Edward Hall's illuminating concept of high -- context vs. low -- context communications is described here, and used throughout the book. (This concept was particularly significant to me, and I have also reviewed Hall's book, "Beyond Culture," on Amazon.) The chapter continues with descriptions of important communication conventions that differ between cultures, and concludes with a set of practical guidelines on how best to make yourself understood when speaking with people whose native language is not your own. The unit continues with some management cultural ideas that are not necessarily limited to multi-ethnic situations, but are applicable to any large organization. This was interesting to me, although it is oriented specifically towards managers who have direct reports.

The second cultural impacts unit begins with a section on common characteristics that typically vary from culture to culture, such as appearance, food, sense of self, beliefs, and time of consciousness. The concepts discussed here are applied in the final section of book, so this provides important background information. The unit includes a section on culture shock, and re-entry shock, which should be mandatory reading for all overseas assignees and their managers. I found a checklist of desirable characteristics for foreign employment candidates especially useful, and several of the expatriates I work with agreed that it was consistent with what they had observed. This is followed by a very nuts and bolts section on preparing people for international assignments. The next chapter is entitled "Managing Diversity in the Global Work Culture." I have to say that I found the book to have a persistent politically correct theme, and I'm not sure that it is necessary to constantly harp on the value of diversity. This was a very popular HR activity at the time this book was written, but I found it distracting.

The final unit, which at 200 pages amounts to one-half of the book, is entitled "Culture Specifics and Business/Service Abroad." Choosing several representative cultures in each continent, it provides detailed discussions on their unique characteristics, along with helpful tips on dealing with people within that culture. This is similar to those books you may have read on "how to deal with X," but unlike those books, it is built on a strong foundation of sociological, anthropological, and organizational behavior disciplines that are introduced in the first two units.

Interestingly, the first chapter is on doing business with North Americans, which through self reflection, can help American readers better understand what it is like to look at a culture from the outside. I'm sure the chapter would also be helpful to non-American readers, but the book is generally aimed at North Americans. While constantly pointing out how important it is to avoid generalizations, each one of the individual cultural studies contains information on the people within those cultures that could be considered just that. One of the balances that I was never able to manage in professor Moran's class, was maintaining a safe distance between sensitivity and prejudice. Attempting to apply these lessons over 15 years, I've learned that cultural sensitivity can help you understand why someone acts in a particular way, and it can also help you anticipate their feelings or reactions, allowing you to better connect with them. The trick is in avoiding either value judgments, or in assuming that cultural guidelines will always be predictive. This helps explain why it is difficult in a book like this to highlight cultural characteristics that may be considered negative. Continuing their politically correct agenda, the authors identify several cultures as being "hard working." No culture was identified as being lazy, so presumably everyone is above average. A difficult balance, but a necessary one.

Such a whirlwind tour really obviously can't do justice to an entire world. It isn't meant to cover the entire world--it is meant to help you apply the lessons in the book yourself, and it succeeds. Although the treatment of various cultures is somewhat uneven, I did find this a very useful and helpful unit, and I will keep if for reference. I do think there are many flaws in this book, and I don't find it particularly easy to read, but in spite of that, I strongly recommend it for everyone who finds themselves in a multi-cultural situation. If you will be dealing with a multi-cultural environment, I recommend reading this book first, and then finding several books on the specific culture you will be exposed to. I highly recommend also finding the time to read Edward Hall. He's entertaining and enlightening.

These book will help the executives of your company or under your command to climb cultural walls and make successful negotiations with businessman's overseas. Also it will help understanding other cultures and becoming more culturally humble: much of the problems we have today as humans rely on the egocentric way we see the world, a lot of problems would disappear if we could just sit on a table and learn the way others think. A most read for international sales managers and embassy personal. Enjoy.

If you know have ever read a book by R.B. Parker you will find yourself in a familiar environment in this book. Parker sets himself a brave task in writing a sequel to Raymond Chandler's "The Big Sleep" and succeeds in pulling it off superbly. Parker is one of the rare modern writers who still believe that characters can have principles, and live by them even in extreme circumstances. Although this is not Parker's best work, I still recommend this book in which, in my opinion, Parker surpasses one of the legends of detective fition, Raymond Chandler.

a little background is in order (as I understand it): the heirs of Chandler approached Parker to finish the Poodle Springs manuscript, and part of the deal was that he had to write one more Marlowe story. 'Dream' is that one more. The job was almost impossible to begin with (Chandler's drinking had taken the edge off his talent by that time, and the Poodle manuscript got off on the wrong foot to boot), the Chandler fans ripped it for not being up to Chandler's prime (which even Chandler himself wasn't, towards the end), the Parker fans ripped it for not being true Spencer, and Parker felt the strain of wearing another man's shoes. So by the time he got to this one, my guess is, his heart wasn't in it. He's said he'll never do another Marlowe book. That said, it's still good to have Marlowe back, cracking wise and cruising the mean streets again. I liked it better than Chandler's "The Pencil", and better than some of the Spencer books! I just wish Parker would reconsider, and do another Marlowe book without the pressures and constraints of a contract. Marlowe, like Sherlock, is a detective who deserves to live on after his progenitor, but the return of L.A.'s hard-boiled prose-poet is, perchance, just a dream.

Robert B. Parker comes the closest to the attitude of Phillip Marlowe. Stuart Kaminsky writes his Toby Peters stories more for laughs. Andrew Bergman (The Big Kiss-Off of 1944) had flashes where he nailed the speech, but was more in keeping with Spillane overall. William Nolan (The Marble Orchard) copies some of the dialogue- and I do mean copies- in his enjoyable Chandlerian mystery. And there are others, myriad others. But none of them get it quite right.

Neither does Parker, but he comes the closest. He matches the world-weariness, the cynicism and the reluctant romanticism, finding the knight in tarnished armor that is Marlowe. Yes, he very nearly matches the attitude. But he falls short with the style.

Chandler nearly ruined literature for me, because everything about every line of his writing'- the dialogue, the descriptions, the societal observations'- is so incredibly entertaining. Nothing can meet its rarified level. So I try to make due with 'close-enoughs.' When I finish a Chandler novel, I am depressed it came to an end; when I closed Parker's Perchance To Dream, it elicited a 'That's all there is?'

In P2D, the narrative is much too straightforward. The villain was clear from the first quarter of the book and there were few mysteries to solve. No convoluted Black Mask motives, no people impersonating other people. Marlowe doesn't even get sapped until distressingly late in the story. There is only one real subplot; then that ties in with the other so they can both be too-neatly wrapped up. It becomes clear what Marlowe must do and he sets out to do it. Then, very abruptly, the novel is over. It is strenuous but not complex. There is no last minute twist because the story followed a Spenser-like plot; it more resembles the structure of the first Lethal Weapon movie than it does that of The Big Sleep.

And as 50 years have passed between the publishing of the original novel and this one, some subtlety has been forsaken. Parker shows welcome restraint given the subject matter, but Carmen's decadence seemed in Chandler's novel somehow exotic and vague. In P2D, as postmodern psychology and sensibilities are applied, it seems cold and open and dirty.

Still, there is a lot that is great in this book. The flashbacks and tips-of-the-hat to the original novel come off better than they might have. We root for Marlowe and hiss the villain, as we should. Parker has penned an abundance of juicy wisecracks and has figured out how to end his chapters in the bittersweet tone much like Chandler accomplished. And the story, despite what I said above, is furiously-paced and viscerally entertaining. It just isn't Chandler.

Perchance To Dream is a good novel; but when someone slaps the words 'Sequel to The Big Sleep' on the cover of anything it had better be blackjack-to-the-head *great*. The fault isn't really Parker's' he came close, and his was a nigh-impossible task. After all, who can be as great as Raymond Chandler?

P.S. Poodle Springs was a more accurate tribute, if a less actionful read.

Got frustrated reading this book. No pace. Not for Alistair McLean kind of readers. You can easily quit reading this book even if you are in the middle. I only completed it for the heck of it.. wonder why I started reading it at all. I should have read Detective(Arthur Hailey) instead. Would have insured I finish it in the same night, rather than spread it out over almost 2 weeks, as Trevayne did. However, Trevayne and Bonner did make a good combo. Both had a great character. The only interesting points in the novel are when these two are in conversation or Trevayne is with Sam. Nothing else.

I tried to overlook the fact that this book was written over two decades ago. I suppose if I had read it when it came out it might have been a page turner.

The characters were believable enough, but the plot wasn't. You pick a guy for a controversial sub-committee, add a bunch of corrupt politicians and businessment (are there any other kind?) and all hell breaks loose. Add in some unbelievable circumstances (gee, from America's top hated to America's next President) and you get a book that for some reason kept me reading for a couple of weeks.

I should have followed by instincts and dropped it.

Mr. Ludlum, in his preface to this edition, says that he re-issued this book after Iran-Contra because he felt that it "mirrored" in a way, Watergate, but that he didn't want to update the book. I think that it could have done with some updating. The book is a good read--a fast read. I found the lapses in time a little confusing, but I liked Andy & Phyllis. I didn't really know what to do about Madison & Bonner, though. It seemed to be a case of the left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing, all throughout the book--which makes it suspenseful, i guess, but rather confusing. I tended to forget who was on which bad-guy team. The ending of the book is pretty predictible once you get to the last few sections--but there are some twists thrown in. A good read if you don't mind low-tech technothrillers.

This book simply lacks the psychological depth of the Karp novels, which I have read every one of. This leads me to believe that Mr. Tanenbaum employs the service of an excellent ghost writer, although we may never know...

Being somewhat familiar with the case of the so-called "cop-killers" Tanenbaum prosecuted and eventually wrote about, I had to read this book. Though I found the book to be filled with numerous self serving inaccuracies and half truths, I was glad to have read it. The New York Three, who are; Jalil Muntaqim (Tony Bottom), Albert "Nuh" Washington and Herman Bell, are not the cop killing trio you will read about. Nor was the Black Liberation Army, the group to which they belonged, a gang of murderers as it is portrayed in this "book". The real thugs and criminals were the government and its Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) which routinely harassed, falsely imprisoned and even murdered members of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army (among others). The case of Dhoruba Bin Wahad (Richard Moore) and Geronimo ji-jaga (Elmer Pratt) are prime examples of this. Each of them were Black Panther and Black Liberation Army members and were released after 19 and 29 years of false imprisonment, after being able to prove their innocence and the government frame up in cases much like the one written of by Mr. Taaenbaum. In fact, Dhoruba's case was cited in the "Badge of the Assassin" and was portrayed as being guilty. It took 19 years to proove him wrong. Yet, if you were to read the court transcripts, you may have falsely locked them up yourself. Likewise in "Badge of the Assassin." The way it reads you may feel they were the killers. What the book leaves out and what was kept from their trials was the evidence of police and government cover/frame-up. Evidence that when the defense got too close to revealing was conveniently "lost" by the feds and police. It's long time the New York Three were set free as Dhoruba and Geronimo were. Maybe this will help open a door exposing one of America's best kept secrets, political prisoners exist in the USA. Albert Washington, Herman Bell and Jalil Muntaqim are only three out of many dozens. For more information on these and other COINTELPRO cases read "Still Black Still Strong", "Agents of Repression" and "Assata". This would only be for starters.

Two NYC Patrolmen, Waverly Jones and Joseph Piagentini, are visciously ambushed on the night of 21 May, 1971. Who killed them and why? This book delves into those questions and more as the prosecutor who handled the case tells, in vivid and amazing detail, of the assassination, investigation, capture, and trial of the accused cop-killers. A must-read for everybody who knows what justice is, and for those who have yet to find out.

Because the authors have been identified as Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod theologians, some readers may infer that this book provides reliable insight into the LC-MS view of Justification and Sanctification. However, readers should know that, subsequent to its publication, informed criticism of the book led to the extraordinary step of official revocation of its Doctrinal Certification within the LC-MS. Descriptions of this book as "controversial" -- while tantalizing -- fail to communicate the clouded reputation of this flawed and out-of-print work.

The dedicated reader can find a superior treatment of the Missouri Synod Lutheran understanding of these topics in respected contemporary works such as Harold Senkbeil's "Santification: Christ in Action" (ISBN 0-810-00308-2), Robert D. Preus' "Getting into The Theology of Concord" (ISBN 0-570-03767), or in classics such as C.F.W. Walther's "The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel" (ISBN 0-570-03248-2).

This book was originally published by the Concordia Publishing House of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Although later decertified, the authors were never given concrete reasons for this extraordinary action. I found the book to be an exciting treatment of the doctrine of sanctification -- something Lutherans are not usually big on. Using numerous true to life vignettes, the author illustrate how God is at work through the Gospel both to save us by his grace, and transform us into the image of his own Son. The authors identify what they call "the Gospel Chain" which includes both the Gospel itself (Revelation of Jesus Christ in Scripture and Justification by grace through faith) and the Goal of the Gospel (sanctification, mission outreach, and living to the glory of God.) Lutherans who read this book may find themselves challenged, but not led astray. I recommend it!

This book is bad. Aside from being historically inaccurate in several areas, the authors quote newspaper clippings and "anonymous", uncorroborated, negative citizen comments as fact. The authors "preach" their perspectives and beliefs based on their "theory" of how minorities have been abused or mistreated over generations. Very little, if any, of the information presented as factual is substantiated by historical evidence. Ninty percent of the book is pure speculation, conjecture, and biased opinion against law enforcement. It is a very slanted and liberal writing. I do not recommend it unless you are mandated to read it. For a better perspective on the real world of managing in law enforcement, try Proactive Police Management. It is also a liberal slant of view, but a much more accurate and interesting read.

Authors give insightful ideas on how to police with a variety of different cultures now facing America. The book offers almost a "how-to" for Departments considering a need to implement a more culturally sensitive process for their city. Cultures considered include the obvious African American, Hispanic, Asian, Indian as well as "lifestyle" cultures.

That's about it - this is an okay collection of okay essays. Some are quite good, most are quite average, a few are not so good at all. The layout is also not very helpful - they are not chronologically arranged, but instead are put in some other, non-linear fashion. I am a *huge* fan of Glass, and am generally excited by anything about him - even just seeing his name printed somewhere or hearing his music on a commercial - but I was only whelmed by this book, and wouldn't necessarily recommend it to people. Seems as though the compiler could have found much better articles to include - surely in the years covered there were much more vibrant and intelligent writers writing about Glass.

If you are a diehard fan, or if you need some research material collected in one spot, go for this book. Otherwise, well, take your chances.

Although this sort of collection is sorely needed, the format is not well thought through. Had a chronological approach been taken when assembling the various essays, an easier read could be had by all.

I had to read this for a class, and as text books go, this is a good one. Covered all the major topics involved in higher ed. Easy to read.

I liked this book okay. I am a little too old for it, but I got it for free, so I read it. I would not recommend it to someone above the age of 12, unless you like to read shorter stories. This book made little sense and lacked a strong plot. I didn't really like it.

Rasch was clearly a dogged researcher and a pioneer in many avenues of researching and writing on the Lincoln County troubles. Unfortunately, this collection of his Brand Book essays, valuable as it is, shows his blind spot - a bias against the McSweens, Tunstall, and Billy, that sours his evaluations and his prose.

His writing is competent and engaging, though the collection over several decades has a lot of repetition (sometimes showing that Rasch CAN learn and re-evaluate) that becomes tiresome. Without having done any research on the author, I would guess he fawns on military types (Dudley, in this case) and the Texas Rangers, and dislikes the rebel type and lawyers in general (McSween, Chapman, Leonard).

Without the evident bias, I'd rate this a 5, but the sarcasm and slant is ultimately fatal. If you want to cover the bases, you need these volumes, but take them with a large dose of sodium cloride.