One of the best accounts of real life management skills I have ever read, exactly what someone will need to succeed in the turbulent world of modern management.

An interesting and well written biography of a key and often overlooked Civil War participant.

The role of the Federal and Confederate Navies in the War Between the States has been neglected by almost all historians. Why? Most of the more colorful, decisive actions, the events that sell books, were fought on land.

This is a different type of story from a refreshingly different point of view. It is exciting and enlightening. The Federals could not have won without their excellent Navy, whose role was every bit as crucial as their Army's. This is as good an account of the U.S. Navy's role in the Union's Civil War victory as there is. Viewed through the life of David Dixon Porter, it is a fine testament to the Navy and the man

I was fastenated by the story of one of America's fightingAdmrials. Porter's success on the Mississpi river prevented the southfrom using it to transport goods and men anywhere. He effectively cutthe West out of the war by maintianing control of this river.

The book reads as well as any by Bruce Catton. If you think that the Civil war was fought only on the ground, this book is for you.

Chester G. Hearn has proven once again that he's among the top rank of Civil War naval historians writing today. His bio of one of the war's most colorful naval officers is thorough and very readable, and provides great insight into the motivations of a most difficult and controversial officer.

This is a great book to read if you want to know what it was like to work for The Pullman Co. The biggest problem with the book is that it is virtually one-sided. Mr. Perata doesn't seem to include the positive side of The Pullman Co., nor has he included the historical perspective of the times and attitudes of the general populace during the period he explores.

I had two close friends who worked for Pullman. One was a black former Pullman Porter. The other was a white Pullman employee who had worked his way up the system from the entry jobs to conductor and finallly a Pullman General Manager. Far from having the "plantation mentality" Mr. Perata speaks of, his concerns were that the level of service did not diminish AND that the employees were being treated fairly and with respect.

The black person worked for me in an executive compacity, so he need not have been less than candid. He told me stories of both his positive and negative experiences. Of course, there was the occassional ornery Conductor or supervisor, but almost all his comments about Pullman were positive. In fact he was insistant that the traditions of The Pullman Company be carried on and used on Amtrak.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this book, but quickly became caught up in the stories and work experiences of these men. Many people don't know what train travel was like in the days before Amtrak and this will be an eye-opening book for them. For those of us who do recall Pullman travel, and the people (many of them friends) who worked the cars, this book will bring back meny memories. Readers should be aware that that this collection of oral histories is not a railfan's book or a wallow in nostalgia. These men tell what it was like not only to work for the Pullman Company, but also what life was like for them away from the trains. Parts of the book are funny, and others are heartbreaking, but most work is that way. The only thing that kept the book from receiving a "10" rating was that it could have used some car diagrams (floor plans) to give the novice an idea of the interior layout of the cars described in the text.

The interviews of the men that built such a style of travel are conducted and written in such brilliance that you can almost smell the starch in their white jackets! A brilliant method of capturing the true life emotions of an almost invisibale servant who afforded the rail traveler a luxury that this country will never again know. Mr. Perata has imortalized those fine men in print, a much needed documentation of a bygone mode of travel and the truth behind it. Those Pullman Blues should be on every bookshelf in America

Porter's agenda to clear Jim Sweeney's name and to cast more doubt over Ernie Cobb's name is disgraceful. Sweeney fixed games. Period. He admitted to that by accepting a plea bargain from his "buddy" Ed McDonald. Cobb, who would have been a very good NBA player was acquited of all charges, yet Porter wants you to believe that Cobb was guilty. This book insults any true Basketball fan's knowledge of the game. Kuhn wasn't good enough to dictate outcome, Cobb was acquited of all charges, leaving Sweeney the Point Guard as the obvious link on the court. I'm surprised Porter's never been sued for this inaccurate hatchet job.

Tremendous read -- the characters come alive, the full range of personal fallibility: gullible to greedy, stoic to berserk. An amazing examination of the verious motivations of human behavior, and the way character is tested by pressure, by competition, by fear and by the temptation of money. Involvement of celebrity gangsters lends both intrigue and absurdity,as the stakes were simultaneously huge for the players but penny-ante for the kingpins.... Great book to read. You will watch March Madness with new eyes.

Recommended to basketball, crime, and suspense fans.

I thought the book was excellent. My boyfriend knows the guys from Swissvale so he rather enjoyed it also. It was great reading for him, especially the parts about Swissvale. A super book and I can't wait for the movie.

This book presents an excellent exposition of the history of the Quapaw people. The author, David Baird, has masterfully presented a condensed yet thorough history of the Quapaw nation which focuses on the Quapaw's ultimately destructive interaction with Europeans and Americans.

He hid his obscure background. He emerged into a society which was pegged for him! And he lived to tell about it -- as did his friends.

This is a collection of recollections about the inimitable Cole Porter, straight from the horses' mouths -- his family, his friends, his collaborators (which he denied having! Cole didn't see any reason not to write words AND music for everything!). It is witty and sad, frank and frivilous and fun. For insight into the life and talent of the man who gave us the songs we hum daily, we sing in the shower, and we spout lines from as if they were common knowledge, this is the source! A highly recommendable read, to be sure -- especially for those who love the music and sophisitication of the era!

Gideon Welles once said that the Porters were all liars and braggarts. This massive volume by David Dixon Porter goes far to proving it. As history, it is lousy, heavily biased, and one-sided. However, for the serious historian, there is a great amount of administrative detail that cannot be found elsewhere. A good source, if its limitations are properly recognized.

First of all, I haven't fact-checked Porter's narratives and orders of battle. However, much like Churchill's WW2 histories, a politically biased account by an actor in the history can be an invaluable resource. And, like Churchill, Porter's writing style has that high style that makes for a refreshing change (in small doses) from today's more pedestrian prose.

Most books on the ACW afloat are narratives, this has a lot more 'meat' due to Porter's participation in a number of the actions and his insights behind the scenes in the USN. I recommend this book, but not as an unimpeachable source.

Porters perspective of the navel operations gives the reader a rare view of history. written some years after the war to set the record of other navel histories of the day, straight. I find the detailed reports by participants and commentary by porter to be both informative and entertaining. Bias? Yes... but he gives his opinion in a straight forward manor and gives credit (both good and bad) where credit is due.

Not recommended for purchase, especially by academic libraries (this suggestion is from a holder of a 1985 Master of Library Science degree, University of Illinois). I admit that I'd have really enjoyed browsing in this book when I was a junior high school student, though.

Many readers who know a bit about the Inklings, and, certainly, scholars, will not find the book to be satisfactory, whether as regards style or as regards content. There are various usage and even spelling errors that should have been caught in the editing process. There are curious inclusions -- satanist Aleister Crowley? John Macgowan(1726-80), a Baptist minister, who wrote a book the authors think resembles Lewis's The Screwtape Letters -- though they don't think Lewis ever read it? It's weird to include entries such as these, and then leave out people such as Pauline Baynes, whose artwork won raves from Tolkien (she illustrated three of his books in his lifetime) and Lewis (she illustrated all seven of the Chronicles of Narnia)!

The authors really deserve censure for neglecting to discuss the major controversy in Lewis scholarship of the last fifteen years, the possibility of forgeries being offered as unpublished works by CSL. No responsible scholar would "stonewall" such an issue! One cannot understand why their bibliography, while listing some items twice, omits some very important books, such as Scull and Hammond's book on Tolkien's artwork, or Charles Williams's Outlines of Romantic Theology.

I wouldn't have bought this book if I'd known how unsatisfactory it would prove to be when I'd got it.

I gave this Colin Duriez and David Porter's book a five because it does exactly what it set out to do: give readers an excellent overview of The Inklings relationship.
I have collected, read and studied the works of C. S. Lewis for the past 30 years. This book filled an empty niche in my collection as it is a clear and concise handbook of the most fascinating group of friends known as The Inklings and the complex elements of the lives they brought to their relationship.
I have been pleased to know and enjoy the work David Porter, one of the authors. His research and that of Colin Duriez is meticulous. They have included an excellent bibiography, including Charles Williams' _Outline of Romantic Theology_ and other important works of The Inklings which will keep you reading and learning about The Inklings for a lifetime. At the end of each article further reading is listed. Pauline Baines, the great illustrator, is mentioned in the Narnia chapter. The entry on Aleister Crowley is much appreciated by those Lewis lovers who also read and enjoy the works of Charles Williams. The style of the book is delighful as authors often include interesting anecdotes and quotes. The book is not overly pedantic, or ostentatiously intellectual. _The Inklings Handbook_ is a must read for those who would begin to learn about the amazing alchemy of The Inklings.
You will find in this book much that is relevant in the 21st century about the spirited exchange of ideas- The Inklings as a model for living with great enthusiasm and vitality.

I found this book to be poorly written.....it did not reflect good literature or spirituality. The book as a whole depicted a degeneration of spirituality and evolution towards mankind.

This book is used to mislead people and to be mislead by the author. sometimes people in power misuse their power. some people claim to be spiritual and misuse their role to hurt others. Be careful of hypotherapist when it is used for the wrong purpose

I loved this book it was a book i needed to read at the perfect time for me.It is written with humor and a certain earnesty that appeals too me.The subjuct is mostly about our aura colours but it is also partly about Davids life story and his awakening and the authors style won't appeal to everyone but for me it was just perfect.I highly recommend this book to people who see aura's and like me only had a slight understanding of the colours meanings or people just trying to understand themselves better.

This is an amazingly comprehensive book. Looking past the near 200 page history of the Padres that this book includes, there is just simply a lot of information in this book. Overviews of exectuives, managers, and important players...50 pages of stats...list of trades the Padres have made over the years...and more. The only thing missing, in my opinion, is a section dedicated to Tony Gwynn.

The biggest problem with this book, however, is the errors. There are spelling errors (including in the table of contents) and a lack of fluidity in format. But more importantly are the numerous factual errors: wrong birthdates, incorrect statistics, wrong information. My favorite example is on page 433, Best Road Record: 46-35, Fewest Road Losses: 37. And that is just an obvious one.

A good book, but difficult to trust.