I am Jason Appleton, son of Robert M. Appleton and author of this book. For 24 years, I have grown up hating a man I had never met. Hearing brief stories from my mother about who my father was and the "bad people" he was involved with. After all of these years, I finally found my father and after the movie like introduction over the phone, I learned a great deal about a man obviously struggling with more demons than I myself could imagine.

He explained to me that if I really wanted to know the details of his life, that I should read the book he wrote about it. I later recieved my copy and began to read. I was awestruck that MY FATHER was the character in this novel. Needless to say, the book demanded every bit of my attention and would not let go until I finally had to put the book down for a while. Certainly a lot to take in all at once.

All I can say is that if you are a person in any kind of pain, unhappy with your life or feel as though you have nowhere to go...read ROOR, because your not alone.

I think this book should be made into a movie. I can see it reaching out to kids and adult victims who might be experimenting with drugs and crime. As a movie, Appleton's characters would be unforgetable and hypnotic. Just reading the words I can't get some of them out of my head. I would pay to see the movie, just like I paid to read the book. Ron F.

Hey, I know this is this writers first thriller type book, but my mom made me read his book. HE IS NOW MY "FAVORITE" author! I know I'm just a teen: 19 to be exact, but I am mature enough to know when words affect me and make me want to change. THIS BOOK WOKE ME UP! This guy is for real! He tells this story (supposed to be based on actual events) and I couldn't stop reading it! It's like, you know the book is about addiction, but you get ADDICTED TO THE BOOK! REALLY cool scenes. My favorite chapter was about the 3 dudes in the motel that are bugging Dan and he has this GIRL? in the back room. I thought it was funny, and parts of it was! But the real scene there in that room was awful! I mean you look at it from a real since and it's sad, but then ends with a PUNCH LINE and you find yourself laughing your butt off! Then you get sad later. Sorry, I just loved it. I am buying a copy for my roomate because he won't stop taking mine to work with him! I told him I wanted to read it again, and he just doesn't get it! Some books need to be read more than once! Anyways, get it, you will love it! Lisa ;-)

This book is a meticulously compiled, beautifully crafted history of our nation's finest military force. It goes beyond the battles and looks at the minutiae that made Marines what they are - from weapons and recruiting posters, to sea stories and folklore, to the heroism and valor that have been hallmarks of the Marine Corps since 1775. Of the many books on this almost mythical institution that I have read, the best by far is this unique and all encompassing volume by one of the Marine Corps most prominent and loving chroniclers. Heritage is the thread that makes the Marines what they are - the tangible link between the first Sea Soldiers and the current Marines even now serving the flag in dangerous places like Kosovo. For those who hold the Corps sacred, this book should become the Holy Grail of Marine Corps histories.

This is an amazing book worth giving any Marine or former Marine or any of those many people who are interested in the story of the United States Marines. On top of the navy blue canvas cover features the ornate United States Marine Seal that buldges up in its nooks and crannies and has the feel of a metal that provides this feeling of pride for the Marines and ownership of the history of such a exceptional military institution. However the good stuff is inside with informative information of the Marines from beginning of their formation to what is expected of them in the 21st century and its tied in with a multitude of pictures in which most I never seen before (despite me being military enthusiast) that explains the text perfectly and will wow you.

This book has an excellent record of the Corps history. As a former Marine who served in Viet Nam and have been working with the marines for the past 27 years, this book provides the links between the old Corps and the new. I recieved this book as a gift from my daughter who has listened to my stories for years. Once a Marine always a Marine.

many people r saying this book is better than harry potter well all i can say is ive never red anything like this b4, avalon is so good i can'r even discribe it. i luv harry but this is different, its so funny and has action and scarey and emotional parts that make me feel like i'm rite there. this book makes u feel a lot of things when u read it so i think its deeper than harry also i like the girls alot and they really come alive to me. i even like kara lol so both books are great but AvAlon makes me feel good when i read it

In this story there are 3 girls and each has magic in her and has to us there magic to save a wild life preserve and help magical animals that live in the perverse too. This book was so good I cant wait to read the next one a read other peoples review and they like Adriane but I like Emily and Kara...

After her parents divorced, twelve-year-old Emily left her Colorado home to move to a small Pennsylvania town with her mother. Pennsylvania is so different from the western mountains, where she had lived her entire life. Emily has no friends in her new town and spends her days helping her mother, a veterinarian, at their kennel and animal hospital. A horribly wounded animal with strange burns is brought to Emily's mother by a sullen, unfriendly girl who lives in the woods at an old animal preserve. While walking the dogs at the kennel, Emily stumbles upon the preserve, and a magical glade full of beautiful plants and animals. She also meets the girl, Adriane, and discovers she's not so bad after all. They meet a talking ferret named Ozzie who has come to this world to find the three humans who can help save the creatures of his world. Unfortunately, it seems as if the third human may be the mayor's snobby daughter, Kara. Emily and Adriane will have to put their dislike of Kara aside to save this magical place. This was the first book in an enchanting new fantasy series. I can't wait to read the next book once it is released.

Although one's search begins with an alphabetized listing, the main body of this thesaurus (its original concept) is organized by category. This means that to find a synonym for e.g., "trouble", you will not simply be presented a list all the possible meanings of the word but you can choose your search depending upon the sense you are looking for. If you mean "annoyance" you will be sent one place for synonyms (nouns, verbs, adj, adv); if your meaning is more "presume upon" you will be sent somewhere else. In the case of "trouble" there are about a dozen places to go in the thesaurus depending upon the subtlety of meaning you are looking for. If you are a writer, this reference work is a sine qua non. Look no further than here for the best thesaurus in the world.

These days it's tempting to believe that you can do without a printed thesaurus. Thesauri are available on the web and there are even thesauri built into word processors. But these are pale substitutes for Roget's sixth edition.

It is much more comprehensive than other Thesauri, but it is still very easy to use. The index in the back contains an alphabetical list of words, and with each, an associated list of finer-grained definitions. For example, suppose you want to describe someone as "mopey" but that word doesn't seem quite right. When you look it up in the index you'll find "sullen" "glum" and "unsociable." Obviously, these have somewhat different characters. Next to each there is a reference to an entry to synonyms organized by category (instead of alphabetically). These lists make up the bulk of the book. Thus, the entry for "sullen" will lead you to a list of words similar in meaning to "sullen," and so on.

What makes this thesaurus easy to use is that the index at the back of the book is complete, so you seldom if ever have the experience of trying to look up a word and then find that it's not there, so you have to try to think of a synonym yourself to gain entry to the thesaurus. Second, there are 330,000 words in the listing of synonyms by category. Considering that the average college student's vocabulary is 60-80,000 words, this thesaurus should satisfy you.

One final note: if you really hate to shell out the money for this book, at least consider getting a used copy of the 5th edition, which came out in the early 90's and it still servicable.

A dictionary of synonyms or a "thesaurus in dictionary form" (now that's phony titling) requires that you think of one of the words by which they sorted the language. A true thesaurus, though, while unfamiliar at first like any new and powerful tool, will let you find the word you are looking for when you can't think of ANY word to start. All you have to do is go to the area with the right sort of ideas and browse a bit. This book only gets better with time. Every writer of every sort needs a copy of this. (Oh, and the index makes a great spelling list for all the words science- and law-obsessed spellcheckers leave out.)

"The Man Who Planted Trees" is a wonderful short story about the fictional life of a man who singlehandedly restores a valley to life by becoming the Johnny Appleseed of Trees. More importantly, its about a man who, having suffered the loss of his wwife and only child, chooses to live a simple life in anonymous service with little but his own resources and his love for trees. The short-term effect is almost unnoticeable; long-term its staggering.

The wood engravings that accompany the text stand out and mirror the book's theme of asutere simplicity quite beautifully. Its a wonderful book for children, nature enthusiasts, gardeners and those looking for hope that follwoing one's heart and living out of love, rather than fear, can ultimately make a difference.

The Man Who Planted Trees is the tale of Elzeard Bouffier, a man who, after his son and wife die, spends his life reforesting miles of barren land in southern France. Bouffier's planting of thousands and thousands of trees results in many wondrous things occurring, including water again flowing in brooks that had been dry for many years. The brooks are fed by rains and snows that are conserved by the forest that Bouffier planted. The harsh, barren land is now pleasant and full of life.

Written by Jean Giono, this popular story of inspiration and hope was originally published in 1954 in Vogue as "The Man Who Planted Hope and Grew Happiness." The story's opening paragraph is as follows:

"For a human character to reveal truly exceptional qualities, one must have the good fortune to be able to observe its performance over many years. If this performance is devoid of all egoism, if its guiding motive is unparalleled generosity, if it is absolutely certain that there is no thought of recompense and that, in addition, it has left its visible mark upon the earth, then there can be no mistake."

The Man Who Planted Trees has left a "visible mark upon the earth" having been translated into several languages. In the "Afterword" of the Chelsea Green Publishing Company's edition, Norma L. Goodrich wrote that Giono donated his story. According to Goodrich, "Giono believed he left his mark on earth when he wrote Elzeard Bouffier's story because he gave it away for the good of others, heedless of payment: 'It was one of my stories of which I am the proudest. It does not bring me in one single penny and that is why it has accomplished what it was written for.'"

This special edition is very informative. Not only does it contain Giono's inspirational story, which is complemented beautifully by Michael McCurdy's wood engraving illustrations and Goodrich's informative "Afterword" about Giono, but it also contains considerable information about how wood and paper can be conserved in the section "The WoodWise Consumer." Goodrich writes about Giono's effort to have people respect trees.

"Giono later wrote an American admirer of the tale that his purpose in creating Bouffier 'was to make people love the tree, or more precisely, to make them love planting trees.' Within a few years the story of Elzeard Bouffier swept around the world and was translated into at least a dozen languages. It has long since inspired reforestation efforts, worldwide."

The Man Who Planted Trees is not only a wonderful story, it will inspire you and your children to care for the natural world.

-Reviewed by N. Glenn Perrett

Jean Giono's inspiring story of the "man who planted trees" reached me some days ago as a birthday gift from my two sons.They thought it an appropriate gift for me probably because I am now engaged in an effort to grow trees in some land which I bought as a barren waste land. I found the book extremely inspiring.The interesting thing is that there indeed are unsung heroes and heroines in many parts of the world who do do such inspiring work without thought of reward.Some months back I read in Indian newspapers about a poor couple in the Karnatak state of India who decided to plant trees to assuage their sorrow in being childless.As they had no land of their own they decided to plant trees on the roadside.And ended up with magnificent avenue trees on miles and miles of the road near their village. There still seems to be hope for mankind!

If you're looking for the definative guide to Six Sigma, you've just found it. From fundamentals to advanced program management, its all here. I first read Pande and Holpp's little 87-page book "What is Six Sigma." The impressive guide convinced me that I needed to pick up a copy of their "The Six Sigma Way." I'm really glad that I did. As a management consultant, I can say without reservation that the ideas expressed in this book are applicable to almost every manager -- regardless of whether or not they are currently involved in a formal Six Sigma program. In addition to enhancing quality, the Six Sigma framework is very useful in identifying and removing irrelevant processes from your product or service operations. Saving your Company both time and money... and freeing up your employees for more value-added work. In addition, I would also recommend Hammer and Champy's "Reengineering the Corporation" and Ashkenas, Kerr, and Ulrich's "The GE Work-Out." Overall Grade: B+/A.

Over the years, I have worked with dozens of small-to-midsize companies, all of which were in dire need of improving one or more of the following: cost reduction, culture change, customer retention, cycle-time reduction, defect reduction, market-share growth, productivity improvement, and product-service development. You can thus understand why I was curious to know to what extent (if any) Six Sigma could be helpful to small-to-midsize companies.

By now we have become well aware of the success of Six Sigma initiatives at major international corporations such as ABB, Allied Signal/Honeywell, Black & Decker, Dow Chemical, Dupont, Federal Express, General Electric, Johnson and Johnson, Kodak, Motorola, SONY, and Toshiba. Once having read this book, I am convinced that -- with certain modifications -- Six Sigma could perhaps be even more valuable to small-to-midsize companies which, obviously, have fewer resources. What exactly is Six Sigma? The authors provide this definition: "A comprehensive and flexible system for achieving, sustaining, and maximizing business success. Six Sigma is uniquely driven by close understanding of consumer needs, disciplined use of facts, data, and statistical analysis, and diligent attention to managing, improving, and reinventing business processes."

The authors identify what they call "hidden truths" about Six Sigma:

1. You can apply Six Sigma to many different business activities and challenges -- from strategic planning to operations to customer service -- and maximize the impact of your efforts.

2. The benefits of Six Sigma will be accessible whether you lead an entire organization or a department. Moreover, you'll be able to scale your efforts, from tackling specific problems to renewing the entire business.

3. You'll be prepared to achieve breakthroughs in these untapped gold mines of opportunity -- and to broaden Six Sigma beyond the realm of the engineering community.

4. You'll gain insights into how to strike the balance between push and pull -- accommodating people and demanding performance. That balance is where real sustained improvement is found. On either side -- being "too nice" or forcing people beyond their understanding and readiness -- lie merely short-term goals or no results at all.

5. The good news is, Six Sigma is a lot more fun than root canal. Seriously, the significant financial gains from Six Sigma may be exceeded in value by the intangible benefits. In fact, the changes in attitude and enthusiasm that come from improved processes and better-informed people are often easier to observe, and more emotionally rewarding than dollar savings.

The authors organize their material as follows: Part One: An Executive Summary of Six Sigma; Part Two: Gearing Up and Adapting Six Sigma to Your Organization; Part Three: Implementing Six Sigma -- The Roadmap and Tools; and finally, The Appendices: Practical Support. According to Jack Welch, "The best Six Sigma projects begin not inside the business but outside it, focused on answering the question -- how can we make the customer more competitive? What is critical to the customer's success?...One thing we have discovered with certainty is that anything we do that makes the customer more successful inevitably results in a financial return for us."

If anything, it is even more important for small-to-midsize companies (than it is for the GEs of the world) to answer these two questions correctly and then track and compare their performance in terms of what their customers require. The well-publicized objective of Six Sigma is to achieve practically-perfect quality of performance (ie 3.4 defects for every million activities or "opportunities") and this is indeed an ambitious objective. Collins and Porras, authors of Built to Last, would probably view it as the biggest of Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs). In that book, they assert that the most successful and admired companies have the ability -- and willingness -- to simultaneously adopt two seemingly contrary objectives at the same time. Stability and renewal, Big Picture and minute detail, creativity and rational analysis -- these forces, working together,, make organizations great. This "we can do it all" approach they call the "Genius of the And."

Pande, Neuman, and Cavanagh suggest that all manner of specific benefits can result from following "the Six Sigma way." For example, Six Sigma generates sustained success, sets a performance goal for everyone, enhances value to customers, accelerates the rate of improvement, promotes learning and "cross-pollination", and executes strategic change. All organizations (regardless of their size or nature) need to avoid or escape what the authors refer to as the "Tyranny of Or." Here in a single volume is about all they need to seek "practically-perfect quality of performance." Whether or not they ultimately reach that destination, their journey en route is certain to achieve improvement which would otherwise not be possible.

I found the book to be clearly written and even fun in places. It provides a solid and practical overview of the principles of Six Sigma. It explains Six Sigma as a flexible system to help manage processes in companies. It addressed all the questions I had in trying to decide whether Six Sigma is appropriate for my company. It provides much practical and non-dogmatic advice about how to implement. I bought the book to prepare my self to fight against the six sigma way. After reading it, I am very enthusiatic and am planning to propose this approach for my company. I highly recommend the book for anyone needing an overview of the topic from a management perspective.

This book is written with tight-as-a-drum research and detail. It read like a great suspense novel. As we sit on the edge of our seats for a cure for this devistating disease, Bazel shows us the behind-the-scenes deadlines cancer patients and doctors are working for everyday. This was an unbelievably good book.

I wish I had read this book last year. I ordered while my sister was being treated with Herceptin for a recurrence of breast cancer. Unfortunately, she died before I could get the book.

This book give real insight into the politics of cancer treatment - the passiveness of some oncologists, how an executive's own personal experience with a disease can determine if drug development will go forward or not, and how women are becoming more aggressive in monitoring their own treatment.

Bazell talks about the frustrations of critically ill and dying women in trying to work through the medical, academic and managed care maze to get the treatment they need.

This drug has been the 'magic bullet' for many women. It has been called the start of a new era is disease treatment. It is essential for anyone involved in this disease to read this book, to understand what they are up against and how they can help themselves.

This book is a very comprehensive account of the discovery of a revolutionary drug to treat breast cancer. Very pleasant to read, the author guides you through the process which goes from discovering the drug almost by chance, making the trials (from a very human point of view) to the final approval of the drug. If you want to read a very enjoyable book about science, drug development, Phase III trials and human hope, don not look further....

Each time a re-read a chapter of this book, it is further enriching. I had no background in business finance and only an introductory accounting background prior to reading this book. It is approachable and quite deftly introduces one to the field of finance. Broad coverage of major topics such as financial forecasting, management of growth, debt vs. equity, financial instruments, valuations, discounted cash flow, and drawing from financial statements. Higgins places things in proper context and builds upon knowledge at good, steady pace.

"Analysis for Financial Management" is an excellent text that covers the major topics of financial management: how to evaluate and interpret financial statements, the tools a manager should use to forecast future earnings and manage growth, how to properly valuate businesses and investment opportunities, and so forth. This book is ideal if you are familiar with basic accounting and finance concepts but want a deeper understanding of finance in a corporate setting. Each chapter contains a recommended reading list for those who want a more thorough explanation and analysis of the topics covered. There is a website the author has put together that provides more examples and tools. Unlike other textbooks, this book actually has all the answers for exercises at the end of the chapters! Lastly, Higgins provides a number of examples and explains all the major concepts with a touch of humor. This is definitely one of the best books I've seen out there.

This book was required in my William & Mary MBA program. It covers everything from discounted cash flows to ratio analysis to business valuation. My brother liked it so much he "stole" if for months. I took it back and now he wants it for his Christmas gift. So, here I am buying it for him. The net present value of this book is -- real high:) I highly recommend it for business owners or anyone involved in finance and accounting.

Robert McCloskey's classic children's book, Make Way for Ducklings is just as delightful in the year 2002 as it was back when it was first published in 1941. The timeless story of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and their eight adorable ducklings is still a fun read for children and parents alike. The story begins as the prospective parents search for a new home suitable for raising their young ones. Mrs. Mallard is clearly the expert in this endeavor and Mr. Mallard is quite relieved when she finally settles on a spot that is not too dangerous or noisy for their young family. The couple make themselves quite at home on a little island in the Charles River of Boston, a quiet oasis within the busy city. Soon the ducklings hatch and Mrs. Mallard sets about teaching them all they need to know in order to live in the city. By now they have made good friends with some of their human neighbors, especially Michael, the policeman. When the family makes its first trip into the city, Michael calls for backup and literally stops traffic all along their path. The people the Mallards encounter are just as pleased to see the ducks as the Mallards are to be there. The reader leaves the family settling comfortably for the night after a day of happily following the Swan boats in the park and eating the peanunts tossed their way. The charm of this book lies in both the heartwarming story and th realistic but idyllic illustrations. McCloskey is quite gifted at portraying the natural world to children in a way that is authentic and familiar. Most children have seen duck families in a nearby pond and witnessed the way the ducklings learn about the world by waddling along after their parents. The sketched illustrations add to the natural feeling of the book. The depiction of the ducks is terrific because they are visually expressive but still look like ducks. Another engaging facet of the story is the positive interaction between animals and humans. The Mallards find a way to live comfortably within a city full of people and their human neighbors are welcoming and accommodating. Overall, this a warm and timeless book. It is just perfect for a parent and child to read together or for a teacher to read to a classroom of younger kids. This is a good selection for children aged 3 to 7.

Children naturally are interested in understanding a parent's perspective on the family. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard's search for a safe home for their future family makes a wonderful story for children and parents to explore and understand more about parental love. Although the book has a 4-8 age reading level, younger children enjoy having it read to them (based on the experiences of my four children). The illustrations are terrific and draw the child's interest very easily. Older children like to reread the story because of its comfortable connection to their more youthful years and reinforcement of their sense of being wanted, loved, and belonging.

To me, the best part of the book is that the locations are actually easy to find in Boston. So if you live in the Boston area or ever come here, you can also take your children to experience the story. I know my younger daughter thought that her first Swan boat ride in the Public Garden was the ultimate moment in her life (up to that point). She kept wanting to know which duck was Mrs. Mallard, and which one was Mr. Mallard. Then she wanted to spot Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack (my favorite name in the book), Pack, and Quack. I had a ball! There are also statues of Mrs. Mallard and her 8 offspring that the children can touch. There's also an annual parade that you can participate in.

If you don't know the story, here's a summary: Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were looking for a place to live where they could raise a family safely. Whenever Mr. Mallard found someplace he liked, Mrs. Mallard worried about foxes and turtles. Finally they got to the pond in the Public Garden in Boston, and were too tired to go on. So they spent the night on the little island there. The next morning they could not find much food, until the people on the Swan boats began to throw them peanuts. But the Mallards were almost run over by a bicycle, so they felt they needed a safer place. They tried several, but each had a drawback. Finally, they found an island in the Charles River not far from the Public Garden that met all their requirements. Michael, the policeman, fed them peanuts. Soon, Mrs. Mallard laid 8 eggs, and stayed to hatch them. After the ducklings were born, they learned to swim and walk single file behind their Mother. One day, she walked them towards the Public Garden. But they could not get across the highway. Michael spotted them and stopped the traffic so they could cross. He called Clancy at the station and told him to send a car to help Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings cross at the Public Garden. When in the pond there, they met Mr. Mallard on the little island. They decided to live there, and followed the Swan boats for peanuts after that.

I have enjoyed reading this story and reading it to children for almost 30 years. I look forward to reading it to my grandchildren when the time comes. It has also been my favorite book to give as a gift to new parents.

Enjoy the wonderful gift of warm family feeling in this book, and leave your stalled thinking about your cares and worries behind. It will remind you what is really important in your life!

I am a student at West Virginia State College and taking a Childrens lit. class. Make way for ducklings is a delightful book and i strongly reccommend it to children of all ages. It's nice to read a book like this that is simple and sweet that all children can enjoy.