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Book reviews for "Penningroth,_Paul_William" sorted by average review score:

Georgetown University (The College History Series)
Published in Paperback by Arcadia (2003)
Authors: Paul R. O'Neill and Paul K. Williams
Amazon base price: $19.99
Average review score:

The perfect gift for incoming students & all Gtown grads!
I gave this book to a friend who graduated from Georgetown and she absolutely loved it! Before wrapping the book, as a Hoya myself, I couldn't help but read it from cover to cover. (If the author reads this, don't worry, I went out and bought my own copy!) The authors have done a thorough job of researching the history of Georgetown and have included amazing/intersting pictures & facts about the university. Any incoming student, alumni, Washingtonian, or person generally interested in college history, will appreciate this book for years to come.

A "Must Have" for any parent, student or alum!
What a wonderful pictorial history of Georgetown University. As part of The College History Series, "Georgetown University" chronicle's the evolution of one of the most prestigious universities in the US. The authors have provided readers with pictures and documents dating back to the founding days of the "Academy at George Town." As a former resident of the DC area, I never fully appreciated the colorful history, nor the significance of this distinguished institution before this book. I think this would be a treasured gift for any Georgetown University student -- past, present, or future!

A "Must Have" for any Parent, Student or Alum!!
What a wonderful pictorial history of Georgetown University. As part of The College History Series, "Georgetown University" chronicles the school's evolution into one of the most prestigious universities in the US. The authors provide pictures and documents dating back to the founding days of the "Academy at George Town." As a former resident of the DC area, I never appreciated the colorful history, nor the importance of the institution until this book. I think it would be a treasured gift for any student of Georgetown University -- past, present or future!


Getting a Project Done on Time: Managing People, Time, and Results
Published in Hardcover by AMACOM (1996)
Author: Paul B. Williams
Amazon base price: $19.57
List price: $27.95 (that's 30% off!)
Average review score:

Very excellent book
This book is very excellent and easy to understand, giving me a logical structure about projects, based on acronyms like GO CARTS, CRACS, DRIVER, and very clear examples about concepts. I think this little book values more than its cost. I take advantage with this book for for my current task. After read this book, I understand better, and have some essential habilities for Project management, Team work and a better sense on Getting job & things done! Go and get it. You will be enjoy and appreciate it.

Good book for new PMs
Excellent for new project managers. Good information on fact finding and planning projects. The primary focus of the book, however, is on people skills. The author offers many good suggestions on gaining the cooperation of participants and influencing their managers. Well written and very easy to read.

People-Project Management
This book is not so much about the tools, charts and diagrams, used in project management as it is about working with people. In many places, the author presents concrete methods that can be used to manage a project team of individuals who all work for different people.

The final chapter is a valuable psychology lesson in handling and reducing the likelihood of a project being cancelled or shelved, something that every project manager experiences at one time or another.

This text is a must-read for every project manager who wants to perfect the way that he or she deals with the people that approve the project or carry out the tasks needed to complete the project.


John Bogle on Investing: The First 50 Years
Published in Digital by McGraw-Hill ()
Authors: John C. Bogle, William T. Allen, and Paul A. Volcker
Amazon base price: $29.95
Average review score:

A Great Collection from One of Investing's Great Minds
Bogle is brilliant on so many of the investment issues that matter most to individual investors -- investing intelligently, the fallacy of active management, how the investment-management industry screws its customers and gets away with it, etc. But as good as he is as an investment "guru," he is even better as a writer.

His writing combines a deft mastery of mathematics with the ability to lay it out on the page so carefully that you'll wonder how you didn't think of the idea. His prose is simple, concise, and often, funny. Bogle is best in speeches and essays, this book combines a very well selected combination of both.

I read other investment literature, and I frequently see the articles and speeches in this book cited. Any interested observer of financial markets, investor wanting to keep from losing his shirt, or professional in the investment management industry would benefit from reading this book. I heartily recommend it!

Changed my investment outlook
The first two sections of this book changed my investment outlook. I now intend for the majority of my investments to be invested passively using index funds.

His arguments that most mutual funds underperform their respective index is convincing. This coupled with the difficulty of picking the managers that will outperform the index over the long term in advance, has convinced me that only by investing in the index can you guarantee that you will be investing in one of the leading funds.

The other 3 sections while interesting are more ruminations from Bogle about life, business and the stock markets. Interesting but not world changing. In fact I suspect that most people would be better off buying "Common Sense on Mutual Funds" by Bogle.

I would heartily recommned this book to anyone who wishes to be convinced that they can maximise their return, while avoiding the risk of underperformance by investing in index funds.

Interesting Perspectives on Markets, Business, and Life
In this 443-page compilation of 25 of his speeches over the last 25 years, John Bogle effectively addresses topics of interest to both investors and those in business. Fans of earlier books, including his Common Sense on Mutual Funds, and devotees of passive stock and bond index strategies, will enjoy this book.

It is especially interesting to read John Bogle's speeches delivered from 1-25 years ago and compare his predictions of the future to what has actually occurred. Comparisons to the market of today can then be made.

For example, in a speech given a year following the "great stock market crash of October 19, 1987", John Bogle on p.68 related his analysis of why the market downturn occurred, including these two reasons: (1) stock prices too high (p/e ratios hitting 23 for the S&P 500 index in 1987); (2) some deterioration in the economic outlook, with no progress being made to reduce the Federal buget defict and a whiff of inflation. Sound anything like 2000 and 2001?

A more recent speech included in the book, from January 2000, predicting that the market's heady optimism will depart and leave stock market returns of 5.2% or so over the next decade. As John Bogle readily admits, however, anything can happen in the stock market.

There are many sections which detail the evolution of, and triumph of, passive indexing over active management. Other speeches provide a historical overview of the founding of Vanguard and its rise over the last 25 years.

Business leaders will find inspiration from several speeches delivered with a more personal note, in which he provides perspectives on the need for persistence, the need for lifelong learning, and the desire to build meaning into life through devotion to commitments to others. Very moving is his speech following his receipt of a transplanted heart.

More recent speeches by John Bogle, which give you a sense of what can be found in this book (but not the added value of looking at speeches from years past and comparing predictions made to what has actually occurred), can be found at the Vanguard website. Look for the Bogle Financial Markets Research Center.

This is not the first book a reader interested in investing should tackle. That honor belongs to John Bogle's 2nd book, "Common Sense on Mutual Funds." Other books should follow, including, perhaps, those by Larry Swedroe, Burton Malkiel, and Bruce Temkin.

For those who have already read several books on investing, the speeches in this book provide added perspective and reinforcement regarding the role of passive indexing, the folly of trying to outperform the market over the long term, and the philosophical ideal of service to others through truth and fairness. For these readers I wholeheartedly recommend adding this book to your investment library.


Behavior Problems in Dogs
Published in Hardcover by Amer Veterinary Pub (1992)
Authors: William E. Campbell and Paul W. Pratt
Amazon base price: $38.95
Average review score:

... easily the best ...
Ever since we got our dogs ... we have been reading and reading dog related books ... mostly out of interest and sometimes because we needed advice with particular issues we're encountering with our canine family members ...

Some books were far too general, a few (fortunately very few) actually contained bad or poor advice ... most were reasonably good & useful ...

But by far ... this is the best we have come across ...

The author makes no pretence at offering quick or instant solutions ... in the first few chapters and without emotional tangents (we all think our dogs understand us *laughs*) he takes the reader through the psychology and mindset of a dog, ... it becomes very clear that the author believes a dog cannot be effectively trained simply by rote, punishment or treats ... but through a process of learning to understand their true nature and positive healthy reinforcement ...

But what makes the most difference is that ... the author is prepared, without fear of alienating his readers, to require dog owners to delve into their own psychology and inner nature ...

This approach makes the book all the more useful ... it made me realise the futility of trying to train our dogs, without first considering how I might be affecting them, with my behaviour and reactions (conscious & subconscious) ... I was asked to consider how my own understanding or lack ... might be causing or contributing to the dogs' good as well as bad behaviour ... The book also provides useful case studies and plenty of practical advice.

It does require a little more concentration than one would normally devote to the reading of a pet training book ... but the effort is well worth it ... any dog owner, new and experienced will benefit ...

... a different kind of book ...
... This is a very good read ... this book offers much more than the usual approach of 'tell the dog to sit, and reward it with a treat' ... the author approaches the problem of bad dog behaviour from the owner's perspective, as well as from the dog's perspective ... a holistic approach that avoids harsh punishment ... The author tells us that in order to correct a dog, oftentimes we must first as owners correct ourselves, our approach ... our whole attitude ... we are encouraged to try and learn the nature of dogs, their instincts and propensities ... the numerous case studies are also extremely useful ... All in all, a very good book, informative, sensible and effective.

the BEST canine behavior book in my library
When faced with problem behaviors in a rough collie back in the 70's, I read every dog behavior book on the shelves at the time. William Campbell's book was the only reference which addressed the issues I needed to understand. Campbell's description of 'active defense reflex' vs 'passive defense reflex' dogs made all the difference in my understanding of Shasta's behavior. He gave me all the advice I needed to turn this behavior around with very specific instructions which worked to perfection. We went on, after reading this book, to earn a CD in obedience whereas before I could not even touch his body without being bitten ('active defense reflex'). I recommend this book to anyone I contact who is dealing with dog behavior problems and I'm very interested to see how this new edition compares to the one I purchased in the 1970's!


From Trial Court to the United States Supreme Court Anatomy of a Free Speech Case: The Incredible Inside Story Behind the Theft F the St. Patrick's Parade
Published in Hardcover by Branden Publishing Co (1996)
Authors: Paul J. Walkowski, William M. Connoly, William M. Connolly, and Adolph Caso
Amazon base price: $29.95
Average review score:

Pure and Simple a great book about the law!
The first amendment gives us the right to free speech and for the most part this is a fairly simple concept right? Well in 1994 in Massachusetts this became a complex legal issue that turned a simple parade into chaos.

Riveting from beginning to the very end, this 600-page fact filled legal expose on how our court system really works, is like nothing else you'll ever read. The authors take you on a journey from the state court right the steps of the highest court in the land.

Using actual trial transcripts and painstaking detail, the author's leave no stone unturned. I was simply amazed at how much information was packed into the book. I was simply astounded by the way the system works.

Law professors and students of law need to take and read this work. It is most likely the best book of the first amendment law. A great work in the legal field and a very good read - well done!

Well-writen First Amendment primer.
As an attorney, what I found most interesting about this book was the use of trial transcripts to help frame the debate on the larger First Amendment constitutional issues. The authors did a superb job of telling a complex story from beginning to end. I would recommend some of my old professors take a close look at this work, and consider using it in trial advocacy and constitutional law classes. I don't remember anything like this when I was at school, but can say it told me a lot more about how the judicial process works than I learned in the classroom.

Comprehensive and Informative
By far, this book tops all others on how our courts operate. The authors have given a detailed look at the legal system at every level, state and federal, and cover so much territory in so short a space that the book borders on being overwhelming. This is the definitive book on "process". Using rich citation to trial transcripts the authors show in meticulous detail how some judges try to unwrap constitutional guarantees to achieve what they think the law shoud be. I read three other works which aspired to this detail: "Out of Order", "Civil Action" and "Closed Chambers" and can state that none were as insightful as this. This is truly a remarkable work, and should be mandatory reading in every law school in this country.


Unholy Order : A Paul Devlin Mystery
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Avon (03 December, 2002)
Author: William Heffernan
Amazon base price: $6.99
Average review score:

The Firm in Clerical Collars
One of the really funny aspects of John Grisham's novel The Firm to me was the idea that a law firm could be a Mafia front. In Unholy Order William Heffernan presents an even more diabolic relationship between a secretive Catholic order and a Columbia drug cartel.

Heffernan's novel falls short only by failing to fully exploit the oppotunities the cultish criminal enterprise offers. As he draws near the end of his tale, the focus becomes concentrated on one member of Opus Dei, rather than the order itself.

While this enables him to wrap up his novel, the reader wants more. In a sense Grisham had the same problem and reached for the same quick solution in The Firm with the "mail fraud" prosecution. But this book is, if anything, more artfully presented than Grisham's classic, and such a facile solution is a bigger loss to the reader.

Couldn't put it down!
I've been a fan of Heffernan since I read Ritual, which was the first novel to feature Paul Devlin. Unholy Order is the best one in years. I'm not going to give a plot blow by blow. That's what the book jacket is for. The story is very interesting, the characters are as real as they get. An outstanding edition to a great series!

Excellent Police Procedural!
My favorite kind of novel. I couldn't put it down. Devlin and co. always entertains as they try to solve the hardest of cases when road block after road block is thrown in their path. All the supporting cast were great, even the villains. Loved the ending. Highly recommend.


Zero Resistance Selling
Published in Paperback by Prentice Hall Press (1998)
Authors: Maxwell Maltz, Dan S. Kennedy, William T. Brooks, Matt Oechsli, Jeff Paul, and Pamela Yellen
Amazon base price: $11.20
List price: $14.00 (that's 20% off!)
Average review score:

A profound and proactive sales success book!
Although Maxwell Maltz is listed as the first author (he passed away in 1975), I know that Dan Kennedy has played a huge role in writing this book and making it happen. Dan Kennedy is currently President of the Psycho-Cybernetics Foundation and has been one of my success mentors for years. His wisdom is easy to follow - but more than that it is right on! I started out as an engineer and a very timid salesman. Dan Kennedy is has helped to change that. Because of him I know myself better, which has helped me to better serve others in my business. I guarantee that if you read this book you will be a changed person - it's that incredible.

Kennedy covers all of the proactive bases: smart thinking, system thinking, futuristic thinking, and positive thinking. If you are truly seeking the kind of success and abundance that makes your life 100% livable - you must read this book. Many of his ideas are found in SUCCESS BOUND, another book built on learning how to live a proactively life that is God centered and fulfilling.

Everything that I have put into practice that Dan Kennedy has recommended in his books has worked. He has brought me success by focusing on what is important in selling and using my God given talents and my thinking ability to be a better salesman. Nearly every bit of our success starts in our minds including sales success. This book makes it very clear as to how to think in the right way so that your success is assured.

You will find that this exciting book becomes a part of you. Don't hold back - let it happen. In fact, I plan on spending 10 to 15 minutes every morning for the next several days focusing my thoughts on the truths of this book, thereby allowing them to seep deep into my subconscious mind. If you do this too I guarantee God's wisdom will most assuredly bring you the success and abundance you deserve.

Enjoy this book and your new proactive and successful life!

This is Powerfull Stuff!
What do you get when you put Dan S. Kennedy--the all-time, number one, best salesman and marketer in the world, and Maxwell Maltz--the world's leading innovator of self-image building, and blend them together--well, you guessed it...one powerfull piece of work. Invaluable to anyone needing to learn the inner game of selling, and by this I mean, one must master their inner self (Maltz) before they can master thier salesmanship and certainly bestow their conquering effects of marketing (Kennedy) on the world. Worth the read, very easy, flowing and has readily available and practical exercises for training your mind...to SELL! Top 10 sales book, on my list. Steve Adele

This book can make me rich !!!
I am a sales trainer from Singapore and I like your book very much. I have certainly benefited a lot from the book. I will recomend this wonderful book to as many sales peoples as possible. Could you please send a copy of " Zero-Resistance Living " report to me. My address in Singapore : Mr Paul Ong, No 70 CASHEW ROAD< #03-03, CASHEW PARK, SINGAPORE 679646 REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE OR EMAIL TO : dulcia@cyberway.com.sg

Warmest Regards, Paul Ong


Souls Grown Deep: African American Vernacular Art of the South: The Tree Gave the Dove a Leaf
Published in Hardcover by Tinwood Books (2000)
Authors: Paul Arnett, William Arnett, and Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Amazon base price: $70.00
List price: $100.00 (that's 30% off!)
Average review score:

Yes to Volume 1, No to Volume 2
The first volume of Souls Grown Deep is an essential book for any American folk art collector. Many of the great African American folk artists of the 20th century are covered and all have a short write up and some pictures. The only problem is that some artists get short change with a one paragraph write up (really short) and 2 or 3 small images on a single page. Clementine Hunter for example, gets this treatment. And Mose Tolliver gets much more space than Bill Traylor, possibly because most of the artwork shown is from the author's own folk art collection, but apparently the author doesn't have many Bill Traylor artworks compared to Mose T's. But it's such a large book that it will still be required for any folk art library. Beware, the second volume is just as big but seems like an entire book of filler. There are some interesting artists presented, but overall the quality isn't as high as the first volume. Perhaps because the artists in the 1st volume are already "established"' it's easier to see their place in folk art history whereas the artists in volume 2 are still relatively new. Both books have high production values in paper and binding. My recommendation is definitely buy volume 1, but be careful of volume 2.

A set of books that tells an incredible story
This book is a marvel in both production quality and content. If ever a set of books deserved the "tome" designation, this set wins big. They opened my eyes to a world I hoped existed but feared did not. I have long appreciated and understood the contributions of African Americans in the arts, but often wondered why the visual arts traditions hadn't reached the heights that the music (blues, jazz, gospel, hip hop, R&B, Rock n' Roll), literary, athletic, fashion, theater, etc.. reached? I have also always been dismayed that many of the great African Americans have had to leave the south, and often this country, to receive recognition at all. It is an old story that is far to common. These books tell a different story. The art work is of the highest caliber, and often created with the humblest of materials?found wood, roots, house paint, discarded materials?yet the artists find ways to make the most glorious objects. It was certainly a revelation to see work that would rival what I see in the many museums in town, made by men and women who don't seem to have any regard, or perhaps knowledge, of these institutions. Work made for themselves, their families, or their communities enjoyment and education. The true meaning of art. It would be impossible for me to say which book I prefer. Both were so eye opening. Now that I have both, I can't imagine not having either. I hope that these volumes will find their way into the libraries and schools across America, for they tell a story that has long been unkown, which is unfortunate. Or, I fear, ignored, which is tragic. Kudos to both, and I hope that there will be a Volume 3. I must add that if you are interested in the "real" American story, history, art (of any kind), then these books are a must read (and look). And as a lover and collector of Twentieth Century art, I realize I have not been, up until now, told the WHOLE truth.

Gorgeous-
Gorgeous photos and very high quality printing and paper. The artwork is very interesting and continues to offer surprises further and further into the book. I enjoyed the stories and recollections of the artists which added a personal and human side to the visual splendor. The editors' own energy and passion for the subject matter shines through. This is a rare gift I will go back to time and time again.


Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition
Published in Paperback by Routledge (2000)
Authors: Paul Williams and Anthony Tribe
Amazon base price: $14.95
Average review score:

Good overview by recognized author
I'll be brief. This book is for readers interested in a good, relatively short, readable and useful book on the basics of Indian-tradition buddhism, which also touches on the confluence of Buddhism and Western philosophy. That said, it is an introductory work, and so it cannot cover everything.

Paul Williams is one of the finest writers on Buddhism and philosophy, and here he has written a wide-ranging book that -- while being devoted to doctrinal and practical and historical matters -- also touches on philosophy. The book is informed by his learning, and that of his co-author too (Tribe is responsible for just the one chapter.) I recommend it, and encourage readers to have a glance at Paul Williams' other books, and those of David Harvey as well.

Incidentally, the best short-and-sweet introduction to Buddhism must surely be Damien Keown's little book entitled Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction. And should the reader want to move to the other extreme and tackle philosophically weightier, cutting-edge topics, he or she should pick up works by Jay Garfield or (especially) George Dreyfus.

Contains the best brief overview of tantric Buddhism
I've only read chapter seven of Williams' "Buddhist Thought," which was actually written by Anthony Tribe. However, on the strength of this one chapter alone, I feel moved to recommend this book. Put simply, chapter seven is the single best brief introductory overview of tantric Buddhism that I have ever encountered. I was stunned by the amount of useful, intelligent, accurate information that was provided in such a short space, especially since this is one of the most misunderstood topics in all of Buddhist Studies. Bravo to Tribe; this chapter alone is probably worth the price of the book, and if the rest of the book is up to this standard, this is a volume of rare excellence indeed.

Best single volume on the history of Buddhist philosophy
Williams trumps his masterful classic "Mahayana Buddhism" with an even better book. This is vastly superior to any previous effort (David Kalupahana, eat your heart out!). Williams has a superb talent for explicating difficulty ideas with clarity and simplicity, and his prose has a pleasant and inviting tone. He is also completely up to date on the state of current specialized scholarship, so even those readers already endowed with a good grasp of the development of Buddhist philosophy will find an abundance of interesting material here. This book is destined to be a classic.


Tender Comrades: A Backstory of the Hollywood Blacklist
Published in Hardcover by St. Martin's Press (1997)
Authors: Patrick McGilligan, Paul Buhle, Alison Morley, and William B. Winburn
Amazon base price: $35.00
Average review score:

Mesmerizing!
I love this book. Its first person accounts by the courageous men and woman who fought valiantly for social justice and economic equality for all people, and stood strong against reactionary forces are so inspiring and moving that I was often in tears.

The book is also immensely informative and even quite funny at times. It vividly presents an amazing array of personalities and is arguably the most affecting, revealing and far-reaching volume about the most shameful chapter in Hollywood's history

Tender Comrades is required reading. We are all indebted to Patrick McGilligan and Paul Buhle for gathering these testimonials, which are true profiles in courage.

Image shattering
I grew up midwestern 1950's, in a hotbed of Mc Carthyism. Needless to mention, my ingrained image of who and what was a communist was somewhat different from the thoroughly humanized portraits that emerge in the pages of the book. Not that the interviews with individual victims of the blacklist result in glamorized or enviable cameos. They don't. Instead, we get a glimpse of what life was like for people of strong conviction who defied the fashion of their day even when it cost them dearly. The fact that most were communists was enough to demonize them in the eyes of so many of us, who, when it comes right down to it, were victims ourselves.

To those of you who have been assailed by America's peculiarly virulent strain of anti-communism, read the book. It won't make a communist of you, but it will give you second thoughts about a political culture that regularly demonizes its opposition, whoever that may be. The interviews reveal not only an America that was, but in many ways an America that still is. The individual stories themselves are fascinating. The names are ones you may have seen briefly on a late night movie credit crawl. Here they come alive in their own words; names and faces that were on the screen one day, then gone the next. Not celebrities, but the kind of people who made movies memorable because they brought more than varying degrees of talent to their work, they brought social concern.

I hope the authors soon bring us a similar volume on non-Hollywood victims of the purges, of which, I gather, there were thousands. Folks without marquee names, but with their own stories to tell about how the world was made safe for democracy.

Absolutely Fascinating Read
For anyone that's ready to move past the historical books about the Blacklist period and is ready to hear more about the people involved this is the book to read. It contains interviews with 35 blacklisted personalities (many of them screenwriters, two of them were even in the Hollywood Ten) and deals with more than just the blacklist. This is an intimate book that gives a voice to those that are not often heard or have been forgotten. Many of these people led fascinating lives outside of Hollywood (one of them having fought in the war in Spain against the fascists), and you will hear about their own childhood, how they came to Hollywood, and all the dreams and visions they had before the Red Scare destroyed them. It is also interesting to hear these people talk about this turbulent time in their lives since it is something that can only be explained by those who were wronged. Some have moved on and forgiven the friendly witnesses while others still recall those horrible moments and refuse to forget and forgive their transgessors (which they have a reason to). Among those included are Norma and Ben Barzman, Hugo Butler, Alvah Bessie, John Bright, Ring Lardner Jr., Frank Tarloff, and Bernard Vorhaus. All in all, this book is clearly one to read.


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