The Paradox of Power has actually transformed the ideas about a leader. Pat has mentioned of seven paradoxes, most important of which are certainly absolute love for your followers as Jesus had for his twelve non-schooled disciples, a vision and preparedness to 'accept inaction as the best form of action' and 'silence as the most powerful speech' at the appropriate time.His examples selected from the life of John F. Kennedy (talking to a mines worker), Robert Lee make his musings on desirable traits of a true leader as given in the book, more acceptable and laudable,

At a time when America can use it most comes a perspective on leadership delivered by someone who has lived his own words and succeeded. While many influential leaders throughout the ages are cited as examples and role models in this book's 230+ pages, the central figure is a man who would not be seen as power figure by today's definition. Yet his methods, when sought with sincerity and applied as though part of our reasonable responsibility, always work. The author has spent his professional life in the world of professional sports, but this book is not just for sports fans or corporate leaders (although that latter can and will certainly benefit from the wisdom of Mr. Williams). Anyone in a position of influence over others (who doesn't qualify there?) will find life-changing advice from time well spent in this book. Read slowly for more effective processing!

After suffering through several presentations and wishing I wouldn't have stop just to catch my breath from fear I decided to purchase this book and attempt to correct my problem. I found that the book helped me to be more familiar with my material and use my organization skills to help clam me down ..It totally worked.

Like most people, public speaking was not a skill I was very comfortable with. Micki Holliday's work has added a new dimension to my technical career. I find it easier and more enjoyable as a public speaker. I now travel world-wide and get paid for literally talking to thousands of people about what I love to do!

This book is a fascinating memoir of an engineer who worked on the SoCal Edison Big Creek project. It details the creation of Shaver, Huntington and Florence Lakes as well as the Big Creek tunnel system. Nice photos as well

book was great, and the shipper sent it quickly. I would recommend the book and the store where I bought it.

I read this interesting work while researching "Sacred Blood." It is heavy reading on a notoriously heavy subject, but is especially relevant in these troubled times we are currently experiencing around the world. It makes an interesting case to explain, in the specific case of one town, "how could they let this happen?" Just goes to reiterate that while times change, people don't.

Sheridan uses one community to explain how the Nazis (NSDAP) were able to gain power in an entire country within the democratic system. His exhaustive research of local archives shows how the NSDAP was able to set up an effiecient bureaucracy that simply outworked other parties and spread their message through 1000's of meetings. Extremists (from the right or left) don't always take power through military force - sometimes the open nature of democracies can be used to subvert them, as was the case in Germany in 1933. True, there are many other factors involved, but Sheridan's book provides clear examples that are often overlooked.

By tracing the personal histories of the inhabitants of Nordheim and the practical workings of the local Nazi party structures, Allen illustrates the reasons for the sudden and powerful rise to power of the NSDAP in a way that is insightful and memorable. By using such details as excerpts from local newspapers, attendance records of Nazi and non-Nazi events, and memories of the still-living Nordheim residents, Allen is able to give an amazingly detailed and yet concise and easily readable view of the events and feelings that proceeded and stemmed from the Nazi rise to power.

This has got to be the most boring book in the world!!!! I have to read it for one of my college courses and it is very nauseating. 30 pages on the history of window decorations!! Give me a break! If you're into analyzing the advertising industry, try Social Communications in Advertising by Leiss. Its a much better book and its much more interesting!

In William Leach's Land of Desire: Merchants, Power, and the Rise of a New American Culture the author ignores the topic of leisure by making it self-evident through consumerism. Leisure, and in turn consumerism, became actual businesses to the likes of the Straus Brothers and Marshall Field, as well as to by-products of consumer industries such as banks, hotels, and museums. Leach's book brings the nature of leisure full circle, from Veblen's Leisure Class to leisure of the working class, whose consumption boosted businesses that used working-class techniques based in the theatre and vaudeville as "showmanship" in the shop window.

A landmark work, LAND OF DESIRE by William Leach traces the spectacular rise of the consumer economy from 1880s to 1915. What's surprising about this genealogy of consumer culture is that so many of the contradictions of life in America --being asked to think of oneself in cold economic terms, (training oneself out for the marketplace, being efficient, punctual, and, enterprising at work) while at the same time being asked to surrender one's inhibitions and spend, spend, spend, have been there since the beginning. It has changed little, but we have.

Consumer credit starts in late 1800s, along with advertising, along with the whole notion of "customer service," (borrowed from Christian service and debased by capitalists), bogus "profit sharing" programs to mollify workers (but only under the threat of union organizing). The turn of the century store owners created consumption palaces (like today's malls) to facilitate profligacy (moving seamstresses off the main selling floor so as not to interfere with the fetishistic fantasy goods, a strategy which finds its current expression in sweat shops well off the premises in the Third World). They spread the Parisian idea of fashion from the realm of clothing to every kind of consumer product. And marketing hasn't changed one bit since then either. One department store used a kind of "Sprint Friends and Family" promotion in 1910 to get people to volunteer likely friends for charge accounts.

Leach identifies three matters he believes are central to the why and how the culture of consumer capitalism came to be the way it is: 1) the development of a new commercial aesthetic (the visual materials of desire such as lights, color and glass), 2) the collaboration among economic and non-economic institutions (an interlocking circuit of department stores, investment banks, hotel chains, and the entertainment industry, but also museums, and universities, 3) the growth of a new class of workers he calls the "brokers: admen, lawyers, investment bankers, museum curators, magazine editors, and experts of all sorts. By 1895, in Leach's words, they had "injected a new 'amorality' into American life, indifferent to virtue and hospitable to the ongoing inflation of desire." According to Emily Fog Mead, an ad expert (and mother of Margaret), writing in an economics journal in 1901: "Accompanying all the early stages of innovation is a fear of wrong-doing, of disloyalty to ideals, and of the coming destruction of the foundation of society; but the next generation has no conscientious misgivings."

Leach notes that this new regime required new ideological underpinnings. Simon Patten, a turn of the century economist, provided them. As the leading light of Wharton's new school of business (yet another invention of this era), he argued that in the new world of mass-produced consumer goods, economic theories of scarcity were anachronistic. This effectively scuttled the writings of Ricardo and Smith, and allowed the new view that mass-manufactured goods and their ready availability would serve to create a standardized set of desires, a common language of aspiration, and thus ameliorate the small differences between immigrants, the poor, the Negro. In other words, Patten equated material "goods" with the social "goods." This blurring of the two has been going ever since. Quoting Leach, quoting historian of religion Joseph Harountunian on this point: "The 'good' is not in goods. The good is in justice, mercy, and peace. It is in consistency and integrity, in living according to truth and to right. It inheres in men and not in things. It is other than the goodness of goods and without it goods are not good."

Leach also identifies elements of America's earlier civic mythology that were appropriated by the new consumer ideologues: 1) The cult of the New. Phrases like New World, New Heaven on Earth, New Nation (conceived in liberty) were common currency in American since its founding (Emerson, Whitman, Douglass espoused versions of the New) As Leach notes: "By the end of the century, however, commercial capitalism had latched onto the cult of the new, fully identified with it and taken it over." "Fashion and style were at the center, expropriating folk design and image, reducing custom to mere surface and appearance."..."Market capitalism [esp. this most radical aspect of it] subverted whatever custom, value or folk idea [that] came with in reach. No religious tradition had the power to resist it, no immigrant culture."

2) "The Idea of Democracy, like the idea of the New and the idea of Paradise (also part of the American mythos and contained within America's millenialist yearnings), began to change under the influence of the new industrial economy. "Gradually, wealth lay less in land and more in capital or in the money required to produce new goods. This pecuniary wealth was owned by a small minority; but at the same time, growing numbers of Americans were losing control of their work, becoming dependent on others --on the owners of capital--for their wages and well-being." "This fostered a double-sided conception of the democracy of desire. It stressed the diffusion of comfort and prosperity not merely as a part of the American experience, but instead as its centerpiece." "...The 'free-market' would allocate to Americans an infinitely growing supply of goods and services. American culture after 1880 -- children as well as adults, men and women, black and white -- would have the same right as individuals to desire, long for, and wish for whatever they pleased."

There was resistance to these appropriations, but eventually "material desires and pecuniary values came to constitute the base measure for all other values, even for ''the dim inner world by which men judge what is for them worthwhile.' Eventually, everyone signed on: Herbert Hoover, as Secretary of Commerce in the Twenties greatly expanded the Department of Commerce to help business, to provide "statistics" and "strategies" for the spread of consumer capitalism all over American and all over the world. Sadly, since then, the business of America has become its only business. A truly remarkable book.

My 2 star rating is based entirely on the typography used for the book. As you can see in the sample pages, a font was chosen which is sort of vertically stretched and horizontally smooshed. I find it rather uncomfortable to read. Your opinion may vary, but it makes me want to avoid spending much time reading the text.

What I have read, though, looks useful.

This book is similar to the book, SURVEY OF 300 A+ STUDENTS: A+ STUDENTS DESCRIBE THEIR ACADEMIC STRATEGIES, by Kenneth Green (from Harvard). However, I think that Kenneth Green's book is more comprehensive and gives the information in a chronological order, which makes it a smoother read.

Don't get me wrong, this is a good book about survival in the school sanctuary. Still I don't think it is such a miracle. "Techniques" explained are nothing more than stuff like Listening in Class, Participation etccc (the time managing methods are really cool though).
In conclusion, I recommend this book to those who really are hopeless or those who are wondering why the other reviwers rated it so high.

Comprehensive but very readable review of World Energy Resources both old (Oil, Gas, Coal) and new (Wind, Solar, Nuclear).

Gets you up to speed on one of the most important issues of the 21st century - the dwindling resources and increasing demand for Fuel and Energy.

Energy Studies (W. Shepherd and D.W. Shepherd) is a
>>Comprehensive and very readable<< review of the state of WORLD ENERGY RESOURCES,
both old (Oil, Natural Gas, Coal)
and new (Solar, Nuclear, etc).

Did you know:
- Britain could supply 15% of all energy needs with Windfarms?
- The USA will run out of oil in 8 yrs if it stops importing?
- Australia holds the world's greatest Uranium deposits?
- They've been trying for 50 years to build a Fusion reactor?
-

Get up to speed with probably THE most important issue of the 21st Century, the decreasing supply and increasing demand for Energy Resources.

A tedious and shrill book which supposes that as soon as you have achieved some measure of success and/or wealth, you join a "ruling class." The language is instructive, as the author is still working with European (and Marxist) models. Kings, Queens, Dukes, Viscounts must haunt his soul. Anyone with comfort is suddenly "ruling" and part of a "class."

This book should be covered in tie-dye.

Words are simply inadequate. This is the best book I never read. Amen.

Clearly shows how the American society works, exposes the control of the upper crust - and never slides into the swamp of conspiracy theorists. Every serious student of our society must read this book!

This book is great for people just looking for some impressiv Shakespeare phrases to spice up their speeches. The book is full of common sense and does not provide any in-depth analysis of the characters. Beside that the endless desriptions of how the authors succeed in their businesses (good for them!) is boring and do not provide concrete ideas or strategies.

John O. Whitney managed to relate business strategies to many of Shakespeare's plays; I truly was impressed... Many of his own experiences are related and it might seem as if the author is showing off but the stories he talks about are really interesting.
Before I read this book I really respected and admired Shakespeare and now my admiration goes beyond his literature, with the help of the author, his lessons on leadership and management are essential for any person working in a large corporation.
SHAKESPEARE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CEO!!!

O.K., we all know it's a gimmick, but it's such a good gimmick that you can't help but be won over. John O. Whitney and Tina Packer extract timeless truths about human nature from the works of Shakespeare and apply them to today's business world. Theme by theme, the authors tackle power, communication, trust, decision, action, hierarchy and women in management. Linking business dramas and dilemmas faced by today's companies and corporate leaders to those faced by Shakespeare's characters, the authors serve up a treasure trove of valuable insight and guidance in this immensely satisfying book. We [...] recommend this book to anyone in business or outside of it. Because like the works of Shakespeare himself, this book, while aimed at a specific audience, aspires to, and in many cases reaches, more universal truths.

If you are interested in how the Nixon and his staff handled the Watergate issue then this is a wonderful look into the private conversations that took place. The author does a good job of setting most of the conversations up with comments as to what the conversation covers. There are also some explanations at the beginnings of the major areas of the book. I would have preferred a little bit more editing out of some of the conversations, but they do serve a point in the overall book.

What struck me the most was just how desperate Nixon kept getting. I almost started to think that maybe he even believed the lies he was telling. It was so fascinating to see how he would formulate a "cover" story and then keep presenting it to staff to see if they would replace their understanding of the events with his. What is sad is the amount of denial that Nixon was sliding into at the end. He was justifying his actions so hard, I started to think that he was trying to change reality with his force of will.

Many of the conversations are very revealing and interesting. I wonder if at times Nixon forgot he was being taped? Why would anyone think that what he was up to would stand the test of time and be thought of as acceptable behavior. You get a good understanding of why Nixon and his family fought so hard to keep the tapes private. In my opinion, these tapes have set back all the work Nixon did after leaving office to rebuild his reputation. My only warring would be that this should not be the first or only book on Watergate that you read. It will help you if have read something else to give you some back ground on the conversations. Overall the book is interesting and a good addition to your Nixon collection.

A fine addition to any Watergate library. Kutler is a dazzling professor who often turns fine logic and thinking to the wrong conclusions. As a litigation historian he can shed copius amounts of illumination onto America's law. However, the fine paths which are followed by Kutler often lead to the wrong conclusion. He has made brilliant arguments for the separation of church and state which in the end only elegantly confirm the opposite conclusion. Our high law not only encourages religous affiliations in civic life, but that government cannot in fact prohibit this free exercise of religion by not only any individual, state, judge or other federal official but by even the federal government itself. It is always a joy to consume a Kutler premise, but even more enjoyable to find the true conclusions.

If you are interested in how Nixon and his staff handled the Watergate issue, then the book Abuse of Power: The New Nixon Tapes by, Stanley Kutler is a great one to read. Kutler does a great job of setting the private conversations up with comments as to what they cover. He also gives some explanations at the beginning of the major areas of the book. I was happy that they did not edit much of the conversations that took place because they serve a good point in the overall book.

What struck me the most about the book was just how desperate Nixon kept getting. I almost started to think that maybe he even believed the lies he was telling. It was so fascinating to see how he would come up with a "cover" story and then keep presenting it to his staff to see if they would replace their understanding of the events with his. What is sad is the amount of denial that Nixon encountered at the end. He was trying so hard to justify his actions; I started to think that he was trying to change reality with his force of will.

Many of the conversations are very revealing and interesting. It makes me wonder, if at times, Nixon forgot he was being taped? I got a good understanding of why Nixon and his family fought so hard to keep the tapes private. In my opinion, these tapes have set back all the work Nixon did after leaving office to rebuild his reputation. It will help you if have read something else to give you some background on the conversations. Hopefully, this will not be the only book on the Watergate scandal that you read. Overall, the book is interesting and well written.